Viscosity
by JustCallMeMarly
Summary: How unbreakable is an unbreakable bond? Jason Morgan is about to find out...
1. Part I

_AU Scene from when Jason went to Carly's rescue, only to have Carly step in front of the gun for Jerry Jacks (aka Mr. Craig)._

_Standard disclaimer: Insert various copyright comments here. If I owned General Hospital or anything having to do with it, would I be here writing fanfiction? Heck no. I'd be sitting in some paradise sipping on mango martinis and declaring it so that Jason and Carly would be together forever!_

_**Summary: Just how unbreakable is an unbreakable bond? Jason Morgan is about to find out.**_

* * *

Viscosity

* * *

"_No Jason! You can't shoot him. He's Jax's brother…"_

"_Quick, out the back door before I change my mind…"_

"_Jason…"_

It had all gone down so quickly. And if he'd really thought about it, he never would have shot Jerry Jacks in her home anyway. He would never have done that to her or put her in that position. If only he'd thought before acting. But as the ruthless criminal had used Carly as a shield, her divided loyalty as an advantage, he'd escaped out the back. And Jason had pulled the trigger in an attempt to keep that evil from touching anything else he loved.

"_Jason…"_ Her voice as she'd fallen to the floor still rang loudly in his ears. The blood that had grotesquely dotted her skin was so vivid amid the gray of everything else. The blue of her eyes as they had teared up had been so clear. The sound of her body as it had hit the floor would forever haunt him. And even the infamous Mr. Craig had paused in horror at Jason Morgan's actions.

"_Never thought you'd do it, mate…"_ The kidnapper, the extortionist, the murderer had said that to him. Before escaping out into the night unscathed. The bullet he had meant to avenge his father with had brought down the only steady pillar in his life. He, Jason Morgan, had shot the only person in this life he knew for certain he couldn't live without.

"_Jason…" _Her voice had called only his name. And it hadn't been an accusation. She had said it like she had always said it… like he was her world. Like he was going to fix whatever had gone wrong.

Only this time, _he_ was what was wrong. He had done the unimaginable. And he wasn't sure how he could fix this. He had failed her once, and he was on his way to failing her again…


	2. Part II

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! I hope this next chapter is okay. Hopefully, I'll give this story the justice it deserves… Let me know if I don't! ;)**

* * *

Part II

* * *

She wasn't here anymore. He was on his own, alone in her house, staring at where she had fallen. He sat, cross legged, in the middle of her living room and replayed the awful moment over and over again. 

_"Jason…"_ He was pretty sure he was going to hear that last, desperate word of hers for a long time to come. Hell, he just may hear it forever - a constant reminder of his complete failure to keep his promise to her. With a guilt-ridden sigh, he ran both of his hands over his face.

A hand grabbed his shoulder causing Jason to start. His gun was left where he'd let it drop. So, whoever it was had a free shot if they wanted to take it.

"Jason…" the pained face of Damien Spinelli came into focus. Apparently, he'd been calling his name for a while now. "Mr. Morgan… Max told me to tell you that the Valkyrie arrived at the hospital. He also told me to tell you that he called Mr. Jacks." Jason nodded. For the first time since Carly had been a part of his life he hadn't trusted himself to help her. Not after he'd been the one… Instead he'd immediately called Max, who had been with Spinelli on their way to Carly's house after Jason's panicked charge there.

"Are… are you going to the hospital?" Spinelli asked. Jason looked up at the teenager. To the hospital? To watch Carly fight for her life again, this time because of him?

"Yeah. I am," he said. He needed to be there, to be her strength like she always said he was. He needed to be there to watch over what he had wreaked.

"The Valk… er, Carly would want you there," he said. Jason closed his eyes and let a ghost of a smile fleet across his face.

"Sure," he said in a way that he knew confused the teen. He stood and made his way out the door, leaving Spinelli behind with a worried look on his face.

* * *

_General__Hospital_

He walked down the hallway and it seemed eerily empty. It was hard to believe that a few long weeks ago this place had been full of frantic activity. Jason had lost Alan here without being able to tell his father what he'd meant to him. He'd be damned if he'd let the same thing happen to Carly. Over the past months, he knew that he'd taken their friendship for granted more than he ever had. And allowing himself to be manipulated by Sonny in order to manipulate Carly… it was something he was always going to be making up for in a long list of things he regretted when it came to her.

He stopped outside her room and looked in. Carly normally looked vibrant and full of life. But today, as wires and tubes ran in and out of her body, she looked pale and lifeless. He couldn't help but flash back to all the other times she had been in this same place, fighting for her life. Most of those reasons, he thought bitterly, had been because of Sonny. And now, he had joined the ranks of the man who had broken her mind, body & spirit.

Jason's attention was caught as he heard a voice from inside the room.

"Carly, baby, you need to wake up. Michael and Morgan need you. Your mother needs you. I need you. I love you. Once you wake up, we'll go back to Fiji. I'll take you away from all of this. I'll let the police handle Jerry, and you and I will get back to the business of being happy," the accented voice said. Jason watched as her Aussie husband stroked her hand and placed gentle kisses on her fingers. A strange feeling set in his stomach as he watched another man say the words that could have – _should have_ – been coming from him.

"I think you finally did it, Morgan," Jax said suddenly, startling Jason.

"What?" he asked before he could hold himself back. Jason knew what Jax was getting at, but the natural animosity between them prompted his derisive question.

"Whatever devotion Carly had for you, I think you may have finally killed it," the Aussie said. "You never should have put her in the position to have to stand in front of your gun."

"I can't believe I just heard that come out of your mouth. _You_ should never have put her in the position to need to!" Jason yelled. Jax nodded, much to Jason's surprise.

"I shouldn't have. I love Carly. I never should have made her choose," then with a glance as cold as Jason's own gaze was known to have been, Jax looked the other man square in the eye. "And neither should have you." Jason didn't say anything, just stood stoically by Carly's other side.

"It's funny," Jax said after a quiet moment. "I always thought myself better than you and Sonny. Sonny shot her in the head and you let him live. For two people who said to have cared about her as much as you did and to have let that happen… I couldn't see how I could not have looked better in her eyes even if I'd paid for it. But here we are. Sonny shot her in the head because she wanted to be independent, you shot her in the chest because she wanted to be loyal… and I let her be pulled her in the middle of something like this because she wanted to honor me." Jason closed his eyes at the pain those words caused. And they hurt even more because they were right and it was Jax who said them.

"You're an asshole, Jax," Jason said. As the blond looked up at him, Jason smiled, remembering the riot act the Aussie had read him not all that long ago. "But so am I. Carly is who she is. She exudes these great qualities every day that no one takes the time to see. And we're all constantly surprised when we finally look at her and realize they really are there." Jax let out a bitter laugh.

"The town gives her a bad rap for being insecure and not knowing what she wants. But is it no wonder that she never knows? Her best qualities, as you so pointed out, have only been punished," he said. With a shake of his head, Jax brought her still hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently. "I love you, Carly. Sleep well."

When Jason was alone with her, he sat on the edge of her bed and took her other hand. It felt wrong for him to be holding her hand like this. It felt wrong to be pushing the blond strands of hair behind her ear. It felt wrong to be sitting here like her best friend wishing her to get better again so that he could hear her voice and see her smile and watch her beautiful blue eyes roll at him again. He was the one that put her here after promising her time and time again that he would keep her safe.

Carly was erratic, Carly was impulsive, Carly was Carly. Above all else, Carly was beautiful in her unpredictability. To say he understood why she had chosen to save the life of a person like Jerry Jacks would be a mistake. But she was loyal, and _that_ Jason did understand. He also knew that there was more he needed to understand. The fact that Carly had willingly stood in front of his gun for her husband's brother said lots of things. First and foremost that she trusted Jax more than she did him. That was how it was supposed to be, he guessed. That was the unit a husband and wife were supposed to present. It was something he had prepared himself for since dancing with her at her wedding.

But when she had said that she would always need him, he had believed her. Jason had never thought that it wouldn't be true. Who was he without Carly trusting him, without her loving him, without her needing him? Jason was pretty sure that he didn't like himself without her and it had been a _long_ time since he'd thought like that.

Of course, he'd almost lost her before. The car accident, the fall through the ice, the kidnappings, the hotel fire, her breakdown, the train wreck, the epidemic, the hostage situation… But Carly had always pulled through and she was always on his side. Even through everything with Sonny, he'd always known that she was loyal to him above all else. Jason had gotten used to that. He was starting to think of her as Spinelli's invincible valkyrie. But all of those near misses… none of them had been anything directly done by him. Now, he was worried that the bullet from his gun would be fatal to something he'd never thought could be broken, if not Carly herself.

* * *

**AN: Let me know what you think!**


	3. Part III

* * *

Part III

* * *

_The Park_

"Where the _hell_ is Jerry Jacks?" Lucky demanded into the phone. "What?! What do you mean you don't know? That bastard is running around Port… what?" Any words he was going to say after that were stuck in his throat. The situation just went from bad to worse.

"You're saying that my cousin was aiding and abetting a homicidal sociopath and she was shot in the process? By who?" The answer didn't satisfy him as he swallowed hard. This just went from worse to disastrous.

"Jason Morgan shot her. You're sure…" This was going to be an interesting day in Spencer history. There was no way around it.

"Thanks…" he hung up and sat back hard against the bench. "Shit."

"Hmmmm, I couldn't help but overhear your predicament, Officer Spencer," Ric Lansing's voice said from the shadows of the trees. Lucky closed his eyes in frustration. If there was a word beyond disastrous, he didn't know it.

"What do you want Lansing?" he growled. Ric smirked as he walked closer.

"Shouldn't you be a little more civil to me? After all…"

"We're not on the clock now, Lansing. Get the hell away from me," Lucky interrupted.

"_After all_…" Ric said again, louder. "I do hold your cousin's, Jason's and your fate in the palm of my hand." The acting DA straightened his sleeve before looking back up at the other man.

"Excuse me?" Lucky asked with a frown. Ric just continued to smirk.

"Carly Corin… oh, I mean Carly _Jacks_ was breaking the law helping her brother-in-law escape. Jason Morgan was breaking the law by taking part in vigilantism and then shooting another person. And now you, Officer Spencer, know about it. As acting district attorney, I can only say that Morgan had better be in the PCPD interrogation room and Mrs. Jacks had better have handcuffs attaching her to her hospital bed before you can say 'conflict of interest.' Otherwise, there may be an opening in the police department ranks," he said. Lucky shook his head.

"You enjoy being a self-righteous prick, don't you? Just because you have some great grudge against Morgan and hate my cousin does not mean _your _hands are clean. A title and a fresh suit do not wash away _your_ rap sheet," Lucky said.

"It gets me enough, Spencer. Say 'hi' to Elizabeth for me, will you?" he said with a parting smirk. It took Lucky a second to regain control of his Spencer temper. He knew that killing the DA wouldn't help matters. Not right away anyway. Instead, he put his phone back up to his ear and waited for the other person to pick up.

"Hey Dad? We're going to be having a few issues come up. I'm going to need your help…"

_

* * *

__Hospital_

"Jason…" Bobbie's voice called from the door. When he turned to look at her, he saw a somber looking Luke standing behind her.

"Bobbie," he said with a nod. With a squeeze on her shoulder from her brother, she stepped into the room. Jason stood to meet her as she reached for his hand.

"Jason, I know… I know that what happened was an accident. I know you were only trying to protect her and that you're already killing yourself over this. But I watched Sonny do this to her. And now I'm watching as she's struggling yet again because the last person we ever thought would hurt her finally has. I think that right now, it would be best for you to leave…" the redhead said. Jason's heart ached at the request.

"Bobbie, I can't lose her," he said. Carly's mother nodded, remembering a long ago conversation with a young man who didn't know he was desperately in love with her daughter. Apparently, history repeated itself with no regard for the players or the circumstances.

"I know that Jason. And if it had been anyone else other than you, I would have killed you myself. I am not pushing you out of her life, I am not going to keep you from seeing her or try to convince her from seeing you. Carly has lived this long loving both you and Sonny. She has survived and she will survive this. _I_ just need a moment alone with my daughter to let this sink in," she told him. Jason nodded as gave one last look to the woman in the bed.

As he was leaving, Luke stopped him.

"The Cowboy says that Lansing is out for your blood," he warned. Jason nodded.

"Thanks." Luke shook his head.

"He's out for Caroline's as well. So, it's best if you kept a low profile for a while," he said. Jason nodded again. Outside the room, he was accosted by yet another Spencer as Lulu grabbed his arm.

"Hey, I can guarantee you there will be a Spencer on guard until she wakes up and is released. And I know my dad. When he says 'low profile' he's telling you to stay away. Come on my watch, and I'll sneak you in," she said. He smiled.

"Why?"

"She loves you. She always has. Carly would do the same for me in a heartbeat," she told him.

* * *

_The Penthouse_

It was strange, but all Jason wanted to do was go lock himself in his room and not see anyone. It wasn't a natural inclination of his, yet right now, hiding sounded like a good plan. But as he opened the door to the penthouse and saw Sam's coat and purse, he knew that he wasn't going to get that tonight. With a sigh, he went to sit down on the couch.

"Hey. You're back late," Sam's voice called as she descended the stairs. Jason didn't say anything, he just nodded and hoped she saw it. He really didn't want to talk about what happened with her. And he knew she wasn't going to be happy with that.

"You tired?" she asked as she sat next to him, reaching up to play with the hair at the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I am," he said, hoping the conversation was going to end there. But he knew better.

"What happened today?" Rather than try to come up with something, Jason decided to be honest and hope the conversation was over after that.

"Carly is in the hospital." Sam was silent, which was a rare instance when it came to the subject of Carly. He thought it best to capitalize on the moment and stood.

"I'm going to go to bed," he told her.

"Can I ask what happened?" she ventured.

"I'd rather not talk about it, Sam," he said.

"I thought we were going to be honest with each other, Jason. I thought we were going to talk to each other."

"Fine. You want me to be honest? I shot my best friend," he said, anger flaring in his eyes as he looked at her. Sam's eyes widened.

"You what?"

"I shot my best friend! How many times do you want me to say it?"

"There has to be a misunderstanding. Jason…"

"No, Sam. We promised to be honest and I was. I held up my end of the bargain and now you need to leave it alone. I shot Carly, she's in the hospital, and I don't want to talk about it." She got up from the couch and walked over to where he stood. As she reached out, he flinched from her touch. Sam shrank back, hurt in her eyes.

"Jason… does Sonny know?" she asked. Jason looked to the floor.

"I don't know. But he has really no ground to stand on to do anything to me. He's done worse to her. A lot worse," he said quietly.

"Who knows, Jason?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters, Jason! We can get out of here, leave this all behind, just you and me. No one will know what happened… Whoever knows, they can forget."

"No, Sam…"

"Why not?! Carly has Jax, she has Sonny and her family. She doesn't need you here. Not when this happened. She wouldn't want you to go to jail…"

"Don't speak for her, Sam. You have no idea what Carly would want. And Carly is my family. There is no way I am leaving her side. Or the boys. So you can forget your idea," he said, rubbing a hand over his face.

"But Jason, you know that Ric won't let this go. And you have no idea how Sonny is going to react…"

"I don't give a damn, Sam! I will do what needs to be done. Here, in Port Charles. And I _don't_ want to talk about this anymore," he said. She looked up at him and he tried to cover the fear, hurt and guilt that he felt. But he knew that he was doing a poor job of it.

"I'm not sure how to help you right now, Jason," Sam pleaded. Jason ran a hand over his face and looked at the woman standing in front of him.

"The thing is, Sam, the only person that _can_ help me is in the hospital unconscious, and her family doesn't want me to see her right now. And I'm not even sure _she_ will want to see me when she does wake up," he said. Sam's jaw tightened for a moment before she looked him straight in the eye, the hurt she felt before turning to anger.

"You've said more to me now then I think you intended to, and to be honest, I don't know why I'm surprised by it," she said. Jason looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Sam let out a bitter laugh.

"You don't know? _Really_? Then maybe you should figure it out on your own. Or don't. I don't really care. I'm just not going to be here to be the fill-in until you do," she said as she picked up her jacket and stormed out of the penthouse. A few moments of silence went by before the door opened again and Spinelli awkwardly entered while holding tight to his laptop.

"Stone Cold… er, Jason…"

"What is it, Spinelli?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to let you know that Craig's phone is on the move again."

"Where?"

"Um, the airport… _towards_ the airport, meaning he isn't there yet."

"Goddamn it! Call the cops, inform them they need to ground all aircraft if they want to keep a criminal in their jurisdiction," Jason ordered. Spinelli nodded and quickly made the call.

"What are you going to do?" the teenager asked after hanging up. Jason was gathering his jacket and his gun.

"I'm going back to Carly's. If Jerry Jacks has nowhere to go, he's going to the next safest place," he said.

"And that would be Carly's place?" Jason paused at the question.

"Carly gave him refuge. And she is now no longer there. He figures he'll be all alone," he explained.

"What are you going to do if he shows up?" Jason tucked the gun at the small of his back and looked at the teen.

"Jax said he shouldn't have put Carly in the middle. I consider that the kill vote," he said. The teenager looked part excited and part sick to his stomach.

"Do you…"

"No. I don't need help. I need you to keep watch over my child at Liz's. And I need you to watch over Carly. He made a threat to those I care about most. They need to be safe," he said. Spinelli nodded.

"Of… of course. I would be happy to watch over your child and the Valkyrie. Nothing will happen to them under the watch of the Jackal."

* * *

**AN: I fully intended this story to be entirely from Jason's POV, but I've since changed my mind. Hopefully, it will turn out well… :)**


	4. Part IV

* * *

Part IV

* * *

Jason let himself into Carly's house quietly. The house was dark, yet still he couldn't find the nerve in him to pull his gun. He knew that the possibility that Jax's brother was here was high, and he knew that the possibility that Michael and Morgan were here was low… but he could still see Carly falling to the floor and still hear her voice calling to him. It was hard enough knowing he'd put that look on Carly's face. He knew he wouldn't be able to take it if he put that look on her boys' faces. It would finish him off completely, if his pain over Carly didn't accomplish it first. 

The single chirp of his cell phone pulled him from his thoughts. "What?"

"Stone Cold, this is the Jackal," Spinelli's voice came through. "Craig's phone is still at the airport. But I just heard DA Lansing say he's on his way to your place. I'm not sure how he got wind of the night's happenings, but he plans on charging you. He's already posted a guard on the Valkyrie's door." Jason closed his eyes and took a calming breath. When that didn't work, he even took his own often-given advice and counted to ten.

"Spinelli, I know that Luke and Bobbie won't say anything. I need you to tell Lulu when she comes by to keep her mouth shut. Make sure she doesn't tell Lansing _anything_, not even the time of day. Got it?" he asked.

"I will relay the message to the Blonde One. Fear not, Stone Cold." With that, Spinelli hung up. Jason let his hand run over his cheek as he thought over what to do next. He had hoped that he would have a day or so to slow down and figure something out. But somehow, word leaked. And he was pretty sure that the infamous Mr. Craig had done the leaking. How else to keep a hit man off your tail other than to inform the police? Jason knew he'd eventually see the inside of the interrogation room over this. Especially with Lansing at the reigns. It only meant he'd have to make tonight count if he wanted to get rid of Mr. Craig for good – Jerry Jacks be damned.

A noise outside alerted Jason to another presence. Taking out his gun, he went to hide in the next room. The front door to the house opened and closed. As the lights flipped on, Jason tightened his hand around the weapon.

"Jerry?" Jax's voice asked to the seemingly empty house. Jason relaxed as he stepped out into the other man's line of sight.

"Expecting him?" he asked. Jax let out a frustrated breath.

"Morgan, in case you haven't noticed, Carly isn't here," he said cruelly. Jason chose to ignore the barb.

"In case you haven't noticed, _Jax_, your brother is still on the run. I'm curious as to what your plan is. Because right now, all I can think is that you are harboring a fugitive and that you are _very_ aware that you've pulled Carly – your wife - into it as well," he said instead. Jax pointed a finger at him with a disbelieving chuckle.

"Of all the people to lecture me on my relationship with Carly, _you_ are among the least qualified. And to be lecturing me on what I've 'pulled her into', that's damned near hypocritical of you. My business with my brother is just that – _my_ business. I don't tell you how to import coffee. Don't presume to tell me how to handle my brother!" Jax ended on a shout.

"Handle?" a new voice broke in. "Is this what we're labeling our dealings as now, little brother?" Jax and Jason both spun around to see Jerry standing in the doorway. Jason's arm pulled up and he aimed the gun at the newest addition. Jax stepped in front of the weapon, but still faced Jerry.

"What are you doing here, Jerry? You know the cops have a lookout for you," Jax warned. Jerry shook his head with a 'tsk, tsk' as he made his way further into the living room.

"Mr. Morgan, one would assume you knew the consequences of aiming a gun at the person you don't intend to shoot. More innocent bystanders may get harmed," he said with a small smirk.

* * *

Michael stood by his mother's bed in his pajamas, holding her hand. Lucky had brought him by to say goodnight. Bobbie stood behind the young redhead as he spoke to the unconscious Carly. 

"Momma," he said, reminding his grandmother a lot of her daughter. "Momma, I would really like it if you would wake up tomorrow. Morgan misses you. And momma, I promise that when you do wake up, I will do a better job of making sure you are happy."

Bobbie's eyes softened as she looked at her grandson taking on a role that was decades older than his tender years.

"Michael, sweetie?" she asked. The boy turned to look at her, tears being barely held back.

"Yeah, Grandma?"

"Let's go find Lucky and get you back to bed. That way, you'll be all fresh and rested to come say 'good morning' to your momma," she said, reaching her hand out to him. Michael nodded as he took it. After she left the boy with her nephew, Bobbie returned to her vigil at her daughter's side. She reached out and let her hand run over Carly's forehead.

"Well, daughter of mine, you've got such a young man there. He's more of a man than a lot of the men I have met. And honey, Michael's too young to be a man. You need to wake up and let him be a little boy again. Please honey, just come back to us. I know we've asked that a lot of you. But this is your mother telling you to," Bobbie said with a little bit of bite in her voice, knowing that it was the tone that made Carly argue back. Then, with a sigh, she kissed her daughter's temple and made to leave the room. Just as she was about to close the door, there was a tiny moan from inside the room. Bobbie paused. There was another weak sound and she opened the door fully to listen again.

"Momma?" Carly's voice sounded softly in the dark room. With a gasp of her own, Bobbie rushed to the bedside and immediately took her daughter's hand.

"Carly!" she exclaimed with a smile. Carly's eyes didn't open yet, but she squeezed her mother's hand.

"Momma," she sighed.

"Oh, Carly. You had us all worried. But I must admit, you didn't keep us in such suspense like you did last time…" Bobbie joked. Carly let out a dry laugh.

"Always the joker, Momma," she said before letting out a cough. "God, I hurt all over…"

"Well, honey, you did just wake up," Bobbie said.

"How long was I out?"

"Not nearly as long as you probably would have liked." Carly let out a dry chuckle, but it turned into another cough. Bobbie helped her daughter get situated on the bed. "Sweetie, don't try so hard. You were in surgery less than 6 hours ago."

"Momma, if you think I'm staying in this place longer than tomorrow morning, you're insane," Carly growled. Bobbie just smiled.

"Rumor has it, darling, it's a Spencer trait anyway so it's not much of an admonishment," she said. Carly smiled. But it slipped off as she caught sight of who was in the doorway. Bobbie turned to look at the visitor as her daughter pulled the hospital sheet nearly to her chin.

"Carly…"

* * *

**  
A/N: Sorry about the delay, folks. I'll be honest, I got lazy… :)**** Hope you enjoyed the update, even though it was fairly short. Next update coming a little quicker, I hope.**


	5. Part V

* * *

Part V

* * *

Nothing good was going to come of this. Of that, she could be sure. 

"What can we do for you, Sam?" Bobbie asked the petite brunette standing in the doorway. Bobbie was a little wary as to what Jason's girlfriend was doing at General Hospital at this time of night.

"Actually, I'd like to speak to Carly alone," the other woman said.

"Carly just woke up, Sam. I don't think it's a good idea," Bobbie said for Carly, knowing full well that this wasn't a social call. Especially with the anger simmering in the small woman.

"Momma, it's okay. Let Sam say what she needs to say so she can get the hell out of here," Carly said, even though she was very uncomfortable as to where this conversation could go. Bobbie nodded stiffly as she started to leave the room. Once the two of them were alone, Sam turned to Carly with fire in her eyes.

"Can't you just die?" she hissed. If Carly was surprised, she didn't show it. She just smiled at Sam's anger.

"Wow. Tell me how you really feel. Now… is this really about _me_? Or is this about _you_? Because I'm not really up to being your therapist right now…"

"Seriously, Carly. Can't you just let everybody live their lives in peace _without_ you? Look at what you've done to Sonny! And now you've got Jax. And yet, you can't leave Jason alone."

"Ahhh, I see. This is about my friendship with…"

"No, Carly! It's not a friendship! It's a dependency. For both of you. You thought you were dependent on Sonny and it drove you crazy. It doesn't even begin to compare to what's between you and Jason. But it drives everyone else crazy instead, so you don't really see the effects. And you know what… I just thought of this! I am so stupid! He probably told you about his baby with Liz already. Of course he would tell you. Why should the _girlfriend _know huh? So now, after all of this, I'm left out in the goddamn cold. Again!" Sam raged. As silence fell, Carly found it hard to swallow. _That_ was the secret Jason was keeping? From _her_? But she pushed it down and decided to not think about that at the moment. It was more information she knew what to do with while she was on pain medication.

"I see," she said carefully. "You broke up."

"It is _none_ of your business," the brunette hissed. Carly smirked.

"It is my business when you barge in here in 'I hate Carly' mode and screaming at me," she said. Sam sneered.

"It's not a mode. It's who I am. I wish you _would_ just die. You have way too many lives. I hate you…"

"That's enough!" Bobbie's voice interrupted. "Get out of my daughter's hospital room. You have the nerve to stand there and say what you just said when it was _your_ boyfriend who put her here."

"Momma..."

"Yeah, he may have well shot himself for all he's _my_ boyfriend," Sam responded bitterly before turning and leaving mother and daughter alone.

"What in heaven's name was that about?" Bobbie asked. Carly shook her head.

"Nothing, Momma. Just Sam spouting off about our guy sharing. Apparently she hasn't been in Port Charles long enough to realize it's an every day occurrence…"

"Guy sharing?"

"Think about it. She had Jax, Sonny and Jason. I had Jason, Sonny and Jax. So the little hypocrite just wanted to stop in and say 'hi'," Carly said as she shifted in the bed to get more comfortable. Bobbie frowned at the word 'had'.

"I'm sorry honey."

"Why are you sorry for _her_ malfunctions?"

"Well, you'll have to deal with her since she's with Jason," Bobbie said.

"They broke up, or something. Which explains the righteousness stick up her ass. Personally, I think she likes it there," Carly said. Bobbie gave her daughter a look.

"Carly," she admonished.

"Besides," Carly continued. "It's not as if I'll be talking to, thinking about, or _seeing_ Jason anytime soon."

* * *

To say it was tense in the room would have been a vast understatement. Three men, in various states of dislike, and one of them holding a gun... 

"If I have to shoot Jax to get to you, I'll do it," Jason growled. Jerry just smiled as his younger brother stepped out of Jason's way.

"Not willing to get your hands dirty like your wife did, Jasper? I'm disappointed."

"Leave Carly out of this," Jax responded. Jerry just smiled again.

"I'll hand it to you, brother. You've married quite the woman. It's no wonder that once the men in this town get a taste, they don't ever want to give her up. I've heard that she is doing just fine, if it concerns either of you," he said congenially. Jason tightened his hold on the gun.

"You've been checking up on her?" he asked.

"I can't help but wonder at the condition of the woman who saved my life. From her best friend, even."

Jason had an unsettling feeling in his stomach as he watched the other man dare him with his eyes. He couldn't help but feel this could be another Alcazar situation in the making. There was _no_ way in hell he was going to let Carly be sucked into that again.

"What are you doing here? You were at the airport earlier," Jason said. Jerry chuckled as he slowly made his way down into the living room.

"I was at the airport to make sure whoever was watching me thought I was there," he said. "Apparently, that was you…"

"Okay… I'm putting a stop to this before it begins," Jax said. "It'll only get us nowhere. I get that there's a lot of hate in this room right now. But I'm not letting you shoot my brother, Jason. And Jerry, I'm not going to let you goad him into doing it. So, one of you is going to have to leave. I'm pretty sure that it's going to be you, Morgan." Jason's reply was cut off as Jax's phone rang. Just a few seconds after, Jason's phone rang as well.

"My, I feel out of the loop," Jerry said sarcastically as he watched the two men take their calls. But then, his own phone rang. It took Jason a moment after Spinelli's voice greeted him, but he was sure they were all receiving the same information. Carly was awake.

"Stone Cold…" Spinelli's voice called him back. "The Blond One just informed me that the Valkyrie has awakened…"

"Thanks," Jason said. A knock came over the front door and all three men froze. "Go home, Spinelli…"

"But…" Jason hung up on the teenager and looked to Jax.

"Are you expecting anyone?" The Aussie shook his head as Jerry stepped away from the door and fully into the living room. Jason gripped his gun a little tighter as Jax moved towards the door just as another knock shook it.

"Who is it?" Jax yelled, keeping eye contact with his brother.

"Police, Mr. Jacks. It would be in your best interest to open up," Ric Lansing's voice came through the door. Jason hesitated, but put his gun away before Jax went to open the door. When the assistant D.A. walked through the door, a look of surprise came over his face.

"Well, I came to inform Mr. Jacks of the arrest warrant for his brother. And here I find Mr. Morgan as well. What is it they say about two birds and one stone?" Ric asked smarmily. When he held out his hand, it held out a piece of paper. "Strangely enough, Morgan, I have a matching one for you. Arrest them." The officers approached both Jason and Jerry. Both men allowed themselves to be cuffed.

"Jasper…" Jerry said. But his younger brother held up his hand.

"I know, Jerry. I'll call Alexis," he said. Then he sighed. "I'll mention you're there as well, Morgan…"

* * *

**A/N: Hope that was okay, let me know what you think!**


	6. Part VI

* * *

Part VI

* * *

_General Hospital_

Spinelli peeked around the corner and felt uncomfortable at the thought of interrupting. Little Morgan Corinthos was curled up into his mother's side as the nurses gently removed Carly's IV and the other monitoring devices.

"You don't have to just stand there, Spinelli. You can come in and say 'hi'," Carly's voice called. The teenager entered in such a bumbling manner that Morgan giggled. It calmed Spinelli and he waved to the child as he straightened. Morgan waved back.

"Hi, Mrs. Jacks. I was just… uh… just in the neighborhood," he said. Carly nodded as she smiled and tickled Morgan with her good hand. The other was held immobile in a sling to help her healing shoulder.

"Watching over me? Or inquiring after a certain Mrs. Spencer seeing the pediatrician?" she asked with false good-nature. Spinelli's eyes went wide.

"I don't know what you're asking," he said, looking around the room.

"Oh come on, Jackal," Carly said, giggling herself when Morgan repeated the nickname. When she looked up, Spinelli was looking at her. "Don't give me that line. I know all about Jake."

"I… I'm sorry. Um, I know that Stone Cold… well, Stone Cold wanted to tell you. But he needed to keep it as secret as possible," Spinelli said. Carly just looked down at her son.

"Did you need something?" she asked, not wanting to hear any more about Jason and his reasons for keeping this from _her_, of all people.

"Um, yeah. I just wanted to let you know that Stone Cold's been taken in to PCPD. DA Lansing has a warrant…"

"What?!" Carly said, sitting up straight. God _damn_ Ric!

"Momma?" Morgan asked. She looked down to see her youngest looking up at her, worried.

"I'm sorry sweetie. Momma's going to come home sooner than the doctors think," she told him, unwinding her arm from around Morgan.

"Mrs. Jacks, I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Yeah, well Spinelli, you're about to learn that I thrive on bad ideas," she said as she gently eased herself off of the bed. She pointed to the door as she made her way to where her bag of clothes sat. Spinelli raced to the door to leave her to change.

"Spinelli!" she called, stopping his exit. "Get over to the police station. If anything changes with Jason, call me immediately. I'm going to get out of here any way that I can and I will be there shortly."

"O… okay," Spinelli answered, deciding that it would be better to agree than to try to change her mind.

* * *

_Port Charles Police Department_

"Morgan, when I get through with you, you'll no longer be a citizen of Port Charles. The only thing people will identify you by is your prisoner number," the DA said. Jason didn't rise to the bait as he sat across the table from Ric.

"And I can't wait to make sure Carly is in those matching blues in the opposite wing…" Ric continued. This time Jason did flinch slightly, but he still didn't say anything in response to the other man's provoking.

"Hit a nerve?"

"I don't know why you're still here, Lansing. I'm not saying anything. You have no evidence and you're just trying to fish for something. You're not going to get it." Silence ensued as the two men stared at each other

"Get him out of here," Ric nodded to the officer at the door. "Get Jerry Jacks in here. It's time to actually have someone _cooperate_…"

"You're overestimating your skills," Jason said as a parting shot before leaving the room. Ric followed behind.

"I think you're overestimating your hold over everyone, Morgan," Ric returned. A commotion at the doors stopped everyone where they stood.

"Let him go this instant," Carly said as she burst into the department, headed straight for Ric. She paid no mind to her arm in the sling or to the fact that she'd bullied her way out of the hospital. All she knew was that Jason was in jail and he shouldn't be.

"Carly, this man shot you. The DA's office will _not_ let that go unpunished," he said. Carly's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you mean like when you kidnapped me? Or when you threatened to kill me after you stole my unborn child? Or how about when you kept me chained to a wall for months on end? There was certainly a lot of 'un-punishing' going on after that, huh?" she spat out. Anger flashed in Ric's eyes and Jason stepped in front of Carly to deflect whatever the DA was going to throw at her. Ric just sneered.

"Where were you when a bullet was shot at her, Morgan? Oh, that's right. You were the one that pulled the trigger…"

"I'd watch it Slick Ric. I am perfectly healthy and ready to do a jig for you right here and now," Carly growled. She looked anything but. The circles under her eyes were overpowering and she was a sickly white. It made Jason wonder what the staff at General Hospital were thinking when they let her leave.

"Let him go, Mac," Carly said, turning to the commissioner. The man was about to let go of Jason's cuffs, but Ric stopped him.

"Now Carly, let's not start playing at something beyond your capabilities. See, I could take these cuffs off our pal Jason here and slap them right on you," he said.

"I don't think so," Jason said, widening his stance in front of Carly to make himself more unmovable. "Carly had nothing to do with Jerry Jacks escaping." Ric just tilted his head slightly.

"Well, that's not what I heard," he said.

"Who did you hear this supposed information from?" Carly asked. Instead of waiting on the DA to respond, Lucky stepped next to his cousin.

"From me," he admitted. Rather than react to that bit of information, Carly neatly side-stepped Jason and faced off with Ric.

"It doesn't matter, does it Ric? Whatever you've got against us right now? It's all hearsay. Unless you've got something concrete, I suggest you stay out of my way. I have enough dirt on this sleepy-eyed little town & its bumbling police department to shock the nation for years to come. You come near me, near Jason or near anyone that has to do with the two of us with anything less than black and white fact, I will pop the lid off of everything I know so fast you won't know which way is North." With that, she turned away from Ric and let her angry blue gaze rest on Mac Scorpio. "Do I make myself clear?" The commissioner nodded as he released Jason from the handcuffs. Once he was free, Carly turned on her heel and made her way to the door. Before she left, she looked at everyone one more time.

"Let me be perfectly honest. The PCPD is a useless waste of taxpayer money. I'd no sooner call the rent-a-cops than call you bunch of buffoons." Her look at Lucky made it clear she included him, family or not, in her scathing review – at least for the moment. When the door shut behind her, silence ensued as everyone tried to wrap their heads around what had just occurred.

"See?" Spinelli asked, leaning towards Jason with awe apparent in his eyes. "I don't call her The Valkyrie for any other reason." Jason smiled at the place where Carly had stood, something else apparent in his eyes.

"Only Carly can reduce an entire department of men to tears…"

* * *

_The Docks_

He found her. It wasn't a surprise as to where she would go.

"Carly…" He stood at the top of the steps waiting for her to acknowledge him. She didn't look back, just huddled lower where she sat on the bench. He took this as a sign to approach.

"Carly, what are you doing sitting out here? You should be in the hospital," he said.

"Jason," her voice, heavy with emotion, stopped him from saying anything else. He saw her free hand reach up to wipe a tear. Rather than sit next to her, he crouched down close to her and put his hand on her knee. Her eyes looked to that hand and stayed there.

"Jason, I'm glad they let you out."

"How could they not after what you did."

"You understand…" her voice caught and she took a breath to steady it. "You understand that I would do anything for you right?"

"Of course."

"And you understand that right now, we are not okay, right?" Jason let his hand drop from her knee and looked to the ground.

"I know." When he looked up at her again, he saw her nod and look away from him.

"What you did hurt, Jason." She said it plainly, not wanting him to confuse her hurt for anger. Because she wasn't angry. Not really.

"I know. And I am so sorry. I never should have put you between my gun and _anything_. I was so angry and I lost focus on you," he said, ashamed. He'd never put revenge above Carly, ever. And the one time he did, he's almost killed her.

"No, Jason. That is not what this is about," she said. She reached up and tapped her shoulder where bandages covered the physical hole he'd put in her. "_This_ is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about you choosing to take action on something that you _knew_ was going to hurt me, that I _told_ you was going to hurt me. You didn't care! And then… and then I find out that you kept something from me that you _knew_ would tear me apart."

"Carly," he started.

"I know about Jake," she interrupted softly before he could really explain anything. Finally, she looked at him. His beautiful blue eyes were wide open in shock. "Sam told me last night."

"I don't know what to say…"

"You don't know what to say." Carly nodded. "I guess that's fair because I don't know how to react."

"I know you're probably angry, but this situation…"

"I know, Jason. You don't need to tell me. The situation is delicate. And you have Liz and that little boy to take care of. Whatever I know stays with me. So don't... don't worry about me, Jason."

"I'll always worry about you, Carly," he said. Carly chuckled.

"You don't need to. Not anymore. I told you we aren't okay. And I mean that. I'm not sure if we ever will be anymore. I honestly don't know how we could. I loved you, Jase. I loved you beyond anything that should be possible. But now, after _years_, I see how impossible it has become," she said as she stood up. Jason didn't stand up, but he reached out and took her good hand in his before she walked out of reach.

"Carly, I want to make it okay. I want us to be okay…" He _needed_ them to be okay. She removed her hand from his.

"I know." With that, she continued walking - the weight of her love burdening her already tired and battered body.

Jason let out a haggard breath as he pulled himself up to the bench where she had sat. It had never been easy for him and Carly. But the one thing that she'd always made clear was that if he was _ever_ willing to make a go at forever with her, she'd drop whatever she was doing or whomever she was with. He'd just never been able to really interpret it as that.

And as he looked over their history together, he'd always been silently fighting for her without realizing it. With Sonny and his charisma, Alcazar and his declarations, and Jax and his playboy attentions, it really should have been no surprise that Jason's steadfast love was drowned out – even from himself. And if he were completely honest, if Carly had been around at the time, he would have gone to her instead of Liz. Who knows how things would have ended up then…

_

* * *

_

To be continued...


	7. Part VII

**_A/N: It's been awhile. Sorry about that. Here's the next part... hope you like it!_**

* * *

Part VII

* * *

"Carly?"

She wasn't sure how she wanted to react. She had been alone in the park with her thoughts and now they were being intruded upon. So, she clutched the swing chain tighter in her good hand.

"You shouldn't be here this late. You need to be at home." Carly rolled her eyes.

"It's none of your concern, Sonny."

"Where are the boys?" Carly glared at him, but didn't let her anger get the best of her.

"They are sleeping safe and sound at the Brownstone. Bobbie's looking after them."

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Resting?" he asked, stepping closer to get a better look at her pale face.

"Last time I checked, Sonny, you weren't my doctor, my father or my husband." The mobster nodded once and looked around the deserted park.

"Speaking of husbands…" Carly decided to cut him off before he started.

"He's in Montreal. Business emergency," she said.

"But shouldn't he be here with you if he loves you so much?" he asked. Carly tightened her jaw and looked away from her ex-husband.

"You know _all_ about business emergencies, so don't you dare deign to judge." Silence fell at her admonishment for a few awkward moments before Sonny ventured into previously verboten territory.

"You kept Jason from jail," he noted. Carly squeezed her eyes shut realizing that she wasn't going to be able to avoid this long-time ignored conversation.

"Yes. I did." Sonny nodded, expecting the answer.

"Would you have kept me from jail?" he asked. This time, Carly looked straight at him.

"The last time you shot me, it was in the head. I was incapable of anything."

"Jason shot you too. And his was for revenge."

"_You_ shot me because of your selfish jealousy…"

"I was trying to save you," Sonny said, pleading with his dark eyes for her to understand the difference between bullets. Carly held up her good hand.

"Wow. Let's stop with these kindergartner games. Yes, Jason shot me. But when compared to _your_ list of sins, he looks like a choirboy. Jason has _always_ been there for me. You? You have not." Sonny was silent for a moment as he studied her.

"You do love him. More than you ever loved me," he concluded. Carly turned away from her ex with a dry chuckle.

"Love him? No…" Sonny started at the statement, but before he could say anything, she continued. "… I _live_ for him. Make no mistake. I loved you. I really did. But loving and living? Which would you choose?"

"They could occur together," Sonny said. But Carly shook her head.

"No. With Jason, living surpasses loving." Silence fell again.

"So you've forgiven him," he stated.

"No." To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Carly was about to say more, but approaching footsteps stopped her. When she looked back, her face relaxed into a soft smile.

"Jax," she said. He smiled at her as he came closer to her.

"I got away as quickly as I could manage," he said, sparing Sonny a quick, cursory glance before helping his wife stand. "We should get you home. You'll make yourself sick out here." The Aussie placed a light kiss on Carly's lips and took her good hand in his.

"Goodnight," Carly said to Sonny before letting her husband guide her home. Sonny watched with a heavy heart as the two left. Then he realized he wasn't alone.

"Jason…" The other mobster stepped out of the shadows and Sonny caught a quick glance of pain in the light blue eyes as they looked to where Carly had stood moments before.

"Jerry's a danger to her," he said before looking at Sonny. The dark haired mob boss nodded.

"I know."

"Then why wouldn't you let me kill him?" Sonny sighed.

"Did you see that smile?" he asked. Jason looked back to where Carly had sat on the swing.

"She hasn't smiled at either one of us like that in months, maybe even years," he said. Sonny nodded.

"Exactly. See why I couldn't have Jerry killed? And if you were the one to do it, she'd hate me more than she already does. And she'd hate you just as badly, if not more," he said. Jason let out a breath as he ran a hand over his face. Then he looked at his one-time mentor and asked a question that he didn't want to know the answer to.

"You still love her?" Sonny smiled, albeit painfully.

"_You_ ever stop?"

* * *

If Sam McCall would have predicted where she would be at this particular moment, she never would have guessed Port Charles, New York. She'd have guessed perhaps in the middle of the Caribbean, captaining her own pirate ship of sorts looking for some elusive treasure. Instead she was here.

Here, she'd found Jasper Jacks. Here, she's fallen in love with Sonny Corinthos and briefly been a mother to his child. And here, she'd fallen in to a relationship with Jason Morgan and thought that he'd been the center of her universe and vice versa. If only she'd known that this was how things were going to end up, she'd have gladly given up everything for that pirate ship. She'd even give up knowing the identity of her birth mother… With a sigh, Sam let her forehead fall into her palm as she let the sound of the water rushing under the docks sooth her emotions.

The approaching footsteps didn't alarm her, but they did put her on guard. On a normal day – hell, about 5 hours ago – she would have expected those footsteps to be Jason's. But she was certain they weren't. Sam didn't flinch as the person sat down next to her and settled back. With a quick glance to her right she saw a guard scoping the area.

"Ms. McCall…" a smooth voice greeted.

"Mr. Alcazar," she said back, sitting up straighter. "What brings you to this particular place tonight?"

"Why, you do, Ms. McCall."

"What would little old me have to do with you?"

"Carly Spencer." Those two words caused Sam's eyes to angrily fly to Lorenzo's.

"_Carly Spencer_…" she repeated. Lorenzo smiled as he watched her reaction.

"Who else?" he asked.

"What does she have to do with _anything_?" she hissed, looking back out at the water.

"You threatened her this evening," he said.

"So? The woman is a terror. What does it really mean to threaten her? What does it matter?"

"It means you've made an enemy of me. That's why it matters."

"Carly has Sonny, Jax and _Jason_ to look after her. You certainly don't need to. In fact, I thought you two hated and barely talked to each other," Sam noted. Lorenzo just smiled again.

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate Carly. Nor do I believe she hates me. It just works better for both of us if we pretend we do and stay out of each other's way. I loved Carly. I still love Carly, although not in the same way," he explained. Sam frowned.

"How can you still love her? You were just a place holder," she told him. Lorenzo let out a small sigh.

"Just like you were?" he asked back. When Sam flinched, he stood up. "Ms. McCall, you and I, Sonny and Elizabeth… anyone else… we were just speed bumps in a greater story. And that is why I am grateful for any time I was able to spend with Carly and have her in my arms, loving her. It's now time for me to find my own great story. I suggest you do the same. If you threaten Carly again, I can tell you now that you will regret that you hadn't taken my advice," he said as he straightened his suit coat. With a nod to the guard, Lorenzo turned and walked away from the docks.

* * *

_The next day – The Brownstone_

Jason Morgan was frustrated. And what didn't help matters was that he had no one to vent these frustrations to. Sonny would be no help to him – it had been a long time since Sonny _had_ been a help to him.

He knew he was way beyond wanting to talk to Sam. After he'd heard of her taking her anger out on a freshly conscious Carly, all urges to see her whatsoever had been killed off.

The only mother figure he'd really counted on in this town – well, he'd shot her daughter. And said daughter… to say she was acknowledging him would be a gross overstatement. Ever since the conversation on the docks, she'd barely registered his presence. He'd heard the conversation she'd had with Sonny last night and it had hit him hard to remember and be faced with the devotion she'd always had for him. And thus, this is where the majority of his frustration stemmed from. To know that the devotion was still there yet to be left out in the cold as if it weren't… it was beyond what he knew. It was uncharted territory to have her _not_ forgive him.

And since this frustration was something he was going to have to live with until he could figure out a way to make it up to Carly, his next best bet was to relax. And that was why he found himself where he was.

As the door opened, he was met with a happy grin.

"Jason!" Michael cried as he launched himself into the mobster's arms. Little Morgan, excited by his brother's greeting, picked himself up off the floor and ran to embrace Jason's legs.

"Hey guys," he said. Michael pulled away and looked at Jason with eyes wiser than any child's should be.

"What's going on?" he asked. Jason just smiled.

"Nothing, buddy. I just wanted to spend time with my two favorite guys in the world," he said. Morgan's eyes went wide, but he didn't let go of Jason's leg.

"The whole world? Even Egypt?" he asked, having been regaled by his brother's tales of the place that Jason had told him so much about. Jason chuckled as he reached down and picked the youngest of Carly's children up.

"Yeah, kiddo. Even Egypt," he said. Morgan grinned. When Sonny's dimples peeked through, Jason's heart flipped a little bit knowing that Morgan could have been _his_ son if only he'd let the past go and loved what was his to love.

"Can you read to us about Egypt?" Morgan asked as Michael tugged Jason over to the couch.

"Of course. Where's your book?" he asked. Morgan pointed his finger up to the ceiling to indicate that it was upstairs. Jason smiled as he set the young boy on his feet.

"Well, you go get it, and I'll read it to you," he said. Morgan took off running for the stairs to find the desired object. There was silence for a few moments as Michael settled himself on the couch.

"Uncle Jason?" he asked finally. Jason winced only slightly at the title. Lately, he'd been doing that a lot when either Michael or Morgan called him 'Uncle Jason'.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Can I talk to you?" Michael asked. Jason frowned as he took the empty spot next to him on the couch.

"Anytime, Michael. You know that…"

"Remember when you said that we needed to make sure Mom was happy?" Not sure where this was heading, Jason leaned forward so that he was eye level with Michael.

"Of course I do. We talked about that before your mom married Jax," he said. Michael didn't look up from where his eyes were focused on his hands.

"Mom's not happy," he said. Finally, the young redhead raised his eyes to meet Jason's in a very serious gaze.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked. Although he knew one very big reason why Carly wasn't happy. Michael sighed.

"She's not as bad as she was with dad," he said. Jason knew how hard it was for the boy to admit that. "But she's still not as happy as she should be." Jason frowned. Was there something else he missed? Besides the obvious? Carly seemed happy when it came to anything else but him.

"You want to know how I know?" Michael broke into his thoughts.

"Yeah, Michael. I do," he said honestly. He was genuinely curious to know.

"Because the only times I've ever seen her really happy has been when she's with you. Even when you guys are fighting, she still seems happy," he explained. Jason looked away from the young boy, partly because of guilt and partly because he needed to process what he'd just heard from the boy he considered a son. Any other thoughts were interrupted as Morgan's little feet could be heard clomping down the stairs. As he launched himself to land between his uncle and his older brother, Bobbie cleared her throat from where she stood watching them.

"My grandson is a very astute little boy, Jason Morgan," she said. Jason nodded as he looked down at the top of Michael's busy head.

"I know."

"Don't you think that 10 years is _way_ too long to wait before fighting for your family again?" she asked. Jason's eyes shot up to Bobbie's and she gave him a small smile before turning and going back to the kitchen. When he looked down again, it was to see Michael staring at him with a thoughtful gaze. Only when Jason opened the well-worn travel book did Michael's attention waver away from him.

* * *

**_A/N: Hope that was decent… Until next update, let me know what you thought!_**


	8. Part VIII

* * *

Part VIII

* * *

Carly's eyes opened as the warmth of her husband's arms left her. With a frown she recognized the fact that the sun wasn't up yet. As Jax left the room, she rolled to her good side to look at the clock. It wasn't even 5:00am yet.

Finally, the source of the morning's disturbance was identified as she heard the pounding on the door downstairs. Carly's frown deepened as she slowly sat up, careful of her injured shoulder. Gingerly getting out of bed, she heard the door open and Jax speaking to whoever had interrupted their sleep. She stepped out into the hallway and heard another man's voice.

Her jaw clenched as she identified the voice speaking to her husband as that of Jerry Jacks. She was about to stand up and charge downstairs to tell that man exactly what she thought of him when his words stopped her in her tracks.

"Jasper, I need your help to leave town…"

Carly fisted her good hand as she stood tense at the top of the stairs. _No Jax… Don't. For the good of your family… for __**me**__… don't help him. Let him go. Let him find his own way out of this particular mess. Let him make a disaster out of his life, not ours…_

"What do you need?" Carly's heart froze at her husband's question.

"Money. Your jet. And your passport." There was silence.

"Where will you go?"

Carly slid down the wall as the reality hit that Jax had once again chosen his brother's well-being. And now she began to wonder if he would ever tell her since he thought she was asleep… and about everything else he hadn't told her.

She brought her fist up to her mouth to keep the sob from escaping. She was tired of always being second place. With Tony, she was sure she hadn't even rated third. With A.J – well, who gave a crap if she came in second with A.J.? With Sonny, she was second to Sonny. With Lorenzo, she was second to obsession. With Jason, she was second to his denial. And with Jax… with Jax she would always be second to his brother. Carly wiped the tear from her face as she heard her husband start up the stairs.

"Carly…" he said in surprise as he stopped at the top of the stairs. She didn't get up.

"I love you, Jax," she said softly. "I love that you are so loyal to your family…"

"Carly…" She didn't let him say anything.

"I love you for that. I really do. But _we're_ your family too. I am your wife. And Michael and Morgan, they're our boys. We needed you to be loyal to us too."

"I am loyal to you, Carly."

"Don't," she pleaded. "_Please_ don't lie to me." He reached out a hand to help her stand, but she just looked at it.

"Carly, I'm not lying. I'm… I'm helping Jerry to get him out of our lives. He'll be gone. And it will just be you, me, Michael and Morgan." Carly's blue eyes searched his and knew that he was trying to be honest. But there was something else there. There was a pain in his eyes that told her there was a choice being made. A choice that she really had no right to ask him to make.

"No, Jax. He will never be out of _our _lives. He'll never be out of _your_ life," she said, looking down at her hands. Jax sat down in front of her and watched her fingers play with the fabric under them.

"But?" he asked, sensing she needed to say more.

"But he can be out of _my_ life," she finished softly. Silence fell as husband and wife sat in the hallway at an emotional impasse.

_

* * *

__Ten years?_ Had it really been nearly ten years? Bobbie's conversation from last night kept echoing in his head. As he had looked over at Michael, it was hard to imagine that Jason had been reading the same book to him when he was a baby that he was now reading to a toddler Morgan. But the younger of Carly's children was just as enthralled with the "stories" as Michael had been… and apparently still was, if evidenced by how the older boy had nestled into Jason's side to listen.

Now, Jason was alone on the docks watching the sun rise over the water. Everything at the warehouse was quiet; there were no pressing troubles that needed to be taken care of. It was rare to have an uninterrupted morning. Especially with Jerry Jacks still in town.

The short chirp of his phone told him that he had called down the thunder. With a sigh, he dug the phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah?"

"Boss, Jerry Jacks just flew out of Port Charles airport," Max's voice informed him. Jason let out a breath. Called down the thunder, all right.

"How?"

"On his brother's plane…" the guard said softly, knowing just as well as Jason how this would affect Carly.

"That son of a bitch," Jason said on an exhale. Suddenly, Jason heard the call waiting alert on his phone. "Max, I have another call. Track where Jerry is headed. I want to know _exactly_ what he's doing." Without another thought, Jason hung up on his most trusted guard and switched to the other line.

"Jason?" Carly's voice startled him.

"Carly? What's wrong?"

"Where are you?" she asked. "You're not here…" Jason stood up quickly as he realized that it was just after sunrise and Carly was at his penthouse.

"I'm on the docks, Carly. Stay there. I will be right there," he said. He heard her draw in half a breath before she disconnected.

Jason was back at Harborview Towers in record time. As he raced to the elevators, he found himself wondering if Carly had even waited for him. The fact that she had called him was a surprise. He was afraid that by not being there, Carly had found another reason to not trust him. To not trust their connection.

When the elevator doors opened, he breathed a sigh of relief to see her sitting on the floor next to his door. But she didn't look like Carly. She still had her nightgown on, but had thrown a jean jacket over it and put on slippers to protect her feet from the morning chill. Her head was bent so that her blond hair fell over her face as she focused on her tightly clasped hands. Finally, she looked up at him. She wore no make-up and her eyes were red-rimmed. It reminded him of every other time that she'd been hurt – physically or otherwise.

"Carly…" he started, approaching her slowly. His voice prompted her to drop her chin to her chest and a small sob escaped her. He rushed to her side. "Carly… what happened?" With her good arm, she reached out and clung to his neck. His arms automatically wrapped around her as he shifted enough to sit in her place and pull her fully onto his lap. Instead of answering, Carly just sobbed into his shoulder. Rather than try to drag it out of her, he just held her. It had been a long time since he'd seen Carly fall apart this bad.

"Jason…" she said after a few long moments. She sat back and looked at him. He reached out and pushed her hair back from her damp cheeks.

"Talk to me, Carly," he prodded gently. The look in her eyes told him that she didn't want to. It told him that she didn't trust him yet. But the sigh that left her told him that she would anyway.

"Jax chose Jerry."

"Carly…" he started to comfort. He knew he didn't really mean it. "I'm sorry." Carly smirked, knowing him better than he knew himself. Rather than say anything against it, she decided to ask a question that had always burned her from the inside out.

"Why did you not fight for me?"

He swallowed hard. It was as if she'd taken a firm grip on the past and ripped it out his stomach. Jason closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall, willing the question to go away. Not because he didn't want to answer it, but because he _couldn't_. It was an answer he'd been searching for since Bobbie asked him if 10 years had been long enough to wait for his family.

Carly's weight shifted off of his lap and he could see the disappointment set in her shoulders. Jason rewrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her on his lap. When she looked at him, her face was devoid of all emotion. She was waiting for him to tell her the age old line. _We would destroy each other._

"Because I loved you too much." The statement seemed to fit. Her blue eyes went wide in shock for a moment, but dulled.

"If you loved me, Jason, you would have fought for me. Like I fought for you," she said. With a last look at him, she took his hands and unwound his arms from her. She didn't say anything as she stood up and walked towards the elevators.

"I loved you Carly. I may have been just getting used to the feeling as what it was, but I loved you," he said, desperation clawing at him to tell her how he felt. "I still love you."

She paused, but she didn't turn around.

"Jason, all these years, you've been there for me. You've helped me through the most horrible times of my life. You've lifted me up when I've been torn down. But I watched you be happy with woman after woman. I watched you have a life that should have been our life together all this while. My children are growing up with a father that _should_ have been you. And now you are the father of a child with the woman who was part of the catalyst to the end of my life with you that never started. And I paid my penance all those years. I paid for every second I doubted you," she turned and looked at him. She let out a laugh, but he could plainly see the tear that slipped down the side of her cheek. "You don't love me. Love never would have let you give up."

"I'm not giving up on us, Carly." He sat there, hands in his lap, emotion on his face and heart in his eyes. But that didn't stop her from stepping onto the elevator when the doors opened.

"You already did. Ten years ago." The doors closed, sending her away from him.

* * *

**A/N: Well, it's been a while. Sorry about that. I try to get updates out as soon as I possibly can – and sometimes that's slower than I'd hoped. I hope this is worth the wait… please let me know what you think! Thanks for sticking with this…**


	9. Part IX

**_

* * *

_**

Part IX

_

* * *

__Harborview Towers_

It had been hard since she'd walked into that elevator two weeks ago. Carly had come and gone so many times in the meantime, Jason was hard pressed to think anything was different. Except the fact that every time she'd actually come and gone she'd always had the kids with her to visit 'Uncle Jason'. Of all the times she had been unavailable to him, he never missed her more than now. So close, yet so far away… to have her in reach, but not able to reach her. And he knew that she wasn't doing it to torture him. Carly had restrained herself over the years in doing things like that. Instead, she kept coming by with the kids to prove to him that she could handle it - that despite their problems, she could maintain the normal.

With a sigh, he took a sip from the beer he'd been nursing for the past hour. Business had been slow the past month and he'd tried to busy himself with trying to locate Jerry Jacks. But even then, he could only do so much without leaving Port Charles. After re-assessing his thoughts on the man, Jason had been able to grudgingly accept the fact that he would not be able to kill the other man. To do so would put him even more at odds with Carly. Not to mention jeopardize his freedom now that every man, woman and child in Port Charles knew he was gunning for Jerry. Jason also had Jake to think about. Something that was still very new to him. It was a little difficult to reacquaint himself with the knowing that a life was dependent on his decisions. And with that in mind, revenge would have to be served in another way.

Sam was long gone. Her stuff had been removed while he'd been out. And he'd been grateful for that. Already, he was thinking that the penthouse didn't feel as empty as it should have felt when she left. He felt bad for thinking that, because he truly had felt something for Sam. But she had been right in her parting words to him…

The ringing of his phone was a fortuitous break to his unhappy thoughts.

"Morgan…" he greeted.

"Uh, Boss? It's Max. Just wanted to let you know that the guys lost track of Jerry Jacks in China," the guard said. Jason ran a hand over his face.

"China. Do we know what he was doing in China?" he asked.

"No, sir. We don't. Ray said that they'd tracked two calls he made back to his brother. But there was nothing of importance," Max said with a bit of trepidation in his voice. Jax was still somewhat of a touchy subject among the men, knowing fully well what both Jason's and Sonny's views of the Aussie were. Jason let out a sigh.

"Fine. Leave Jax out of it for now. Our priority is keeping tabs on Jerry. He's not done with Port Charles yet. I don't know how I know that, but I know it," he said.

"What do you want us to do, Boss?"

"Nothing. I'll get Spinelli on it to see if he can track where he went after China," Jason said.

"If anyone can find it, that kid can," Max noted. Jason let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, I know. Keep me posted on anything, Max."

"Of course…"

Jason hung up the phone and downed the rest of the beer.

* * *

_Metro Court_

She needed to get out of there. Being at the Metro Court was too hard. It was the project that was the cornerstone in her marriage to Jax. A mutual love of business and success had transformed into a unique partnership of love and respect. Unique for her, at least. And it was hard, almost _too_ hard, to give up those feelings. Carly had made a promise to herself after her failed marriage to Lorenzo that if she ever found another man that had the devotion to her like he had and if she returned those feelings, she would never jeopardize the relationship or willingly put an end to it herself for want of more.

But now, the papers to end that very union were in the hands of that very man.

_"Carly... I realize now that I've been such a hypocrite... I have resented your loyalty, your devotion, your willingness to put everything on the line for someone that was not me or your children. All the while you've stood by me, chosen me and supported my decisions no matter what your thoughts have been when I felt so loyal, so devoted, so willing to put everything on the line for someone who was not you. I haven't been fair to you. And I haven't been fair to our marriage from the day we said 'I do.' I am so sorry..."_

Jax had said all the right words that, on any normal day, would have had her back in his arms. But Carly liked to think of herself as older, wiser, and more mature. She liked to think that she was better at holding back rash decisions, and better at thinking things through. Yes, Jax had said what she'd thought many times. Yes, he'd apologized. But he had not said the words that could begin to solve their problems. He had not said that Jerry could now manage the problems of his own making. He had not said that he would not drop everything to rush off and play the heroic little brother whenever the call came. To be fair, Carly could not have said if she would have been able to do the same for him, but she had been willing to try. And that had gone unspoken as she had gently removed her hand from his.

_"I love you, Jax. I really do. And I always will..."_ She had said those words to him mere days ago as she had placed the folded bunch of papers in his upturned hands. And now, Carly stood at the bar with her back to the open room knowing that he was there and watching her. It hurt that she really did love him. And it hurt that they were both in a place that wouldn't allow them to just live in that love. But he couldn't compromise on his brother, and she couldn't compromise on letting it go anymore. After years of living with and being broken by Sonny, she knew she had to stick to her guns. She had to be the one to follow through.

Rather than wait for the inevitable moment of their eyes meeting from across the room and feeling the pain that she had done so well at suppressing, she picked up her purse and quickly made for the front door without acknowledging anyone. It was so much easier that way.

As she stepped out into the brisk air and buttoned her coat, all the bubbling emotion came to a halt as she saw her uncle approaching.

"Caroline, as I live and breathe..." he said, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Carly carefully pulled on her gloves with a sigh.

"Isn't it a felony to be 'indecent with the intent to annoy'? I'm pretty sure it is. I'll have to ask our honorable district attorney... I think it's a two year stint in Sing-Sing," she said. Luke grinned.

"Ah, the brethren. I wonder if they miss me..." he said. Carly smirked.

"Your sewing circle, no doubt," she said.

"Good to know you're on the mend, darlin'." Carly started walking, ignoring the car waiting for her and not caring if her wayward uncle followed.

"It'll take the fires of hell themselves to make me shrug off this mortal coil," she threw over her shoulder. With a few easy steps, Luke caught up to her.

"Careful there, precious. You'll have Port Charles' most pious converting to devil-worship just to be rid of you," he said. Carly smiled.

"Most pious? Is there such a thing in this town?" she asked. Luke just shrugged. They walked in silence for a few moments before curiosity got the better of Carly.

"As much as I appreciate the dubious escort in this felon infested wasteland, what are you up to?"

"I am not up to anything, sweetheart. It's the other people you've gotta worry about," he said. Carly huffed.

"Then what are other people up to that requires you to be within 500 yards of me? Note to self... re-visit the restraining order idea," she commented. Luke stepped closer to her and, knowing it would annoy her, put a companionable arm around her shoulders. He was rewarded with her death stare.

"I received a call earlier today. Actually, I received a couple of calls, but that's besides the point. Anyway, this particular phone call was your mother. My darling sister told me that you officially filed for divorce..." he said. Carly shrugged his arm off of her shoulders.

"I can't believe you'd be patient enough to listen to gossip," she said. Luke shook his head.

"Not mere gossip. This is family," he said. Luke Spencer's loyalty to family was almost legendary and was often a source of irritation for Carly. This particular moment being a case in point.

"Excuse me, then. I meant to say 'family gossip'. What happens in my life is no concern of yours. We've had our odds in the past. Let's continue to have them in the future, okay?" The Spencer patriarch stopped walking, and despite her better judgment, Carly turned to look at him.

"Listen, sugar... yes, we've had our odds. Yes, you and I are oil and water. But despite all of that - and I say this very grudgingly - I like you, kid. You and I, despite the oil and water thing... we're a lot alike. And seeing as how great I am, how can I hate myself, huh?" he asked, pointing to himself with a grin. Carly turned and started walking again.

"Now you're just being insulting," she called to him. He hurried after her.

"See, that's something I would have said, too," he laughed.

"Get to the point..."

"Fine. My point is that without Jax, you're once again without security," he said. Carly stopped walking and turned to look at him with angry eyes.

"Are you actually saying that I need a man for security? I would have thought you'd want to circle the wagons around your fair gender to protect them from the likes of me," she growled. Luke held up his hands in surrender.

"Not what I meant. Carly..." he said, shocking her with the use of her nickname. "You can thrive on your own. All Spencers can. In fact, it's probably better that we are on our own sometimes. The thing is, the worry about town is Jerry Jacks. The man is unstable. You are the center point for his world right now, being that you are his brother's wife, the co-owner of the Metro Court, Sonny's ex-wife, and his very own savior. You need to be careful. For your kids' sakes, for your mother's sake..."

"The 'worry about town'? Bullshit. The worry for Sonny and Jason, you mean. Which one called you? Whose sake am I really supposed to be thinking of?" she demanded. It was a new tactic, she had to admit. To use her uncle to piss her off enough to go rant at one of them to kill the white-haired man, it definitely proved they knew her and her modus operandi.

"All I'm going to say, Caroline, is that you need to start thinking smarter. With good ol' Jasper outta the house, you're gonna be open game to a lot more than just a crazy Aussie. And there are people willing to make sure nothing bad happens. To you, or to those kids," Luke reminded her.

"Jax would never put my boys in harm's way. Not even for his brother," Carly said. Luke gave her a pitying look.

"But he could to you?" he asked. He stopped her half-hearted attempt to slap him. "It's the truth, Caroline. No way around it. Be careful, please. I don't want to have to escort your mother into another hospital room with you in it and listen to her beg for another chance for you to whatever higher up she believes in. You dance with the devil more than you need to, and one of these days he's going to call the chips in." With that, he let her hand go. Carly tucked her hands underneath her arms and closed her eyes, willing herself to be patient.

"Good. Great. I'm so glad you took time out of your day to counsel your misbegotten niece. Now that it's checked off of your 'to-do' list, I've got places to go before heading back to momma's for the boys," she said. With that, uncle and niece parted in opposite directions, both cursing the stubbornness of the bloodline.

* * *

_Harborview Towers_

The knock on the door surprised him. When Jason opened the door, he was no less surprised to see Carly standing there with a confused look on her face. Rather than wait for an invitation, she pushed past him into the penthouse.

"I'll stick with the expected script, alright? I need you to kill my uncle..." she said, turning piercing blue eyes on him. He frowned as he brought up a hand to rub away the accompanying ache between his eyes.

"What did he do now?" he asked. Carly cocked her head to one side as she appraised him.

"You mean you don't know?" Jason let out a sigh.

"Why would I know, Carly?" he asked as he made his way to the kitchen to grab another beer. He would probably need it. She followed, as he knew she would.

"So, you weren't the one to call him?" she asked. He popped the top off the beer and took a healthy swig before looking at her.

"Why would I call him?"

"Because of the sudden concern that seems to be going around since I filed for divorce from Jax," she said, crossing her arms. "So, if it wasn't you who called him, then it must have been Sonny."

"Not necessarily," Jason said on a breath. Carly's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I have it on good authority that Alcazar threatened Sam after she confronted you at the hospital. It's just as likely that he put the call in to Luke," he explained. Carly's eyes widened for a moment as she looked quickly around the room.

"I forgot about Sam..." she replied. Suddenly, she looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. You've probably got things going on. Speaking of Sam..."

"Carly..." he warned. But she continued on.

"I haven't seen her around lately. Where is she?"

"She's not here, if that's what you're asking. And she won't be here," he informed her. Carly gave him a quick, understanding nod before exiting the kitchen and heading back into the living room area. With a deep, steadying breath, he followed her.

"I always thought you two kids would work it out," she said with an exaggerated lightness. She'd never approved of the brunette woman.

"Well, apparently, she caught on to something that you seem to be incapable of addressing as of late," he said with a little bit of bite. Carly chose to ignore the attempt at bringing up the subject that was a giant elephant in the room with them.

"I was planning on bringing the boys over tomorrow for a visit. Morgan made you something that he wants to give you in person. He won't tell me what it is. It's supposed to be a surprise," she said with a smile. Jason didn't return it. At his unnerving stare, she began to pace. When that became too much, she stood with her back to him and looked out the penthouse window. The quiet was uneasy, but it wasn't anything either one of them was unfamiliar with.

"Why won't you talk to me, Carly?" Jason broke the silence, finally sick of her avoidance tactic of choice. Carly let out a small laugh.

"I talk to you all the time," she said. She still didn't turn around. Jason crossed the room to stand behind her. But he was careful not to touch her. He knew her mood. And it was as unpredictable as she had been these last few very long weeks.

"No, Carly. You don't. Not about anything that matters. Not like you used to."

"There's a lot that's different now, Jason. We're not who we used to be. So why expect the same in this old Jason & Carly drama?" she asked. This time, her eyes were looking at his through the reflection in the dark window. It was unnerving to have her watch him like that. He couldn't see her face, her true emotions. But he knew that she could read every nuance on his face. She had always been good at that. And it didn't take a window pane to know how far he'd drifted from really knowing who she was.

"Jason," she said on a sigh. "I can't do this anymore." He didn't pretend to misunderstand. And now, after all these years, the words just bubbled out without a very thorough edit.

"I love you, Carly. I want us to be a family. The family you've wanted us to be for so long," he said. Her shoulders came up and he recognized the wall of pride being built around her.

"Why now?" Finally, she turned to look at him. He wanted to reach out and touch her shoulders, take her hands. He wanted to make her believe.

"There's no Sonny. There's no Jax. There's no Sam. There's no Liz. There's no one standing in our way." Her chin rose as she leaned back against the window sill. A quick, fiery answer was held back in her eyes, he could see it. But she edited the thought and went with the truest of all answers.

"Yes there is. There always is. _You_..."

"Not this time."

"Until you feel that one of us will destroy the other. Jason, I screw up. All the time. I always will. But I need to know that you'll still be there. And you... you push people away. You need to know that I won't let you do that. We will hurt each other, Jason. That's just the plain truth of it. But we have to work through it together. But my trust in you working anything out with me is very minimal," she said. With a sigh, she turned to look out the window again. There was a spark of hope in his chest at her words. It sounded like she was setting the guidelines to them being together, which meant she wanted them to be together. Even if she had that want buried so deep she didn't realize it yet.

"I know I screwed up, Carly. What do you want me to say? I screwed up and I'm sorry..."

Through the reflection, he could see a ghost of a smile on her face.

"You just said it. That's all I've ever wanted you to say. I thought I had said it enough for both of us over the years, but hearing you say it..." She turned to walk away from the window, away from him, but he reached out this time and gripped her arm. There was no way he was letting her walk away. Not now, when the past was so tangible and wounds could begin to heal.

"You're not going anywhere right now. We're going to talk about this," he said. She smiled again, this time it was painful.

"I wanted to talk for years. You just wanted me to shut up. But fine. Talk, Jason," she said as she shrugged out of his grip.

"I love you. I will say that again and again until you believe it. What we have doesn't go away, Carly. I don't understand why you're trying to make it," he said, his voice cracking for a split second. Carly stepped back from him and looked to the floor.

"I told you that it would never be over between us. I pratically screamed it to you and everyone else. But I'm trying to make it end because it's killed me over and over again. It's been over ten years, Jason. A decade. I have given you a decade of my life. My love, my friendship, my loyalty, my _priority_... and I was always an inconvenience. Always wanting you but never _having_ you has drained me of every reserve I have," she told him. This time, he did reach out to take her hand. And she looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with tears.

"But you can have me. I want to have you." The words were quiet, but they seemed so loud. It was the first time in a long time that his heart and his head were working in tandem. It made it so much more real, so much clearer. He watched as she struggled against years of the contrary.

"No..." her voice broke as she said it. "No." She walked quickly away from him before he could touch her, and she hurriedly picked up her purse. Just as she reached the door to leave, Jason's arm wrapped around her waist.

"Carly," he said. But his words were cut off as her fist hit him in the arm. She hit him again and he could see the tears falling away from her eyes.

"No, Jason. No!" she cried as his hold on her strengthened. There was a desperation in her voice that broke his heart. He was torn between letting her go and pulling her tight to him. But he did know her, and he knew what she would accept. Jason's free hand grasped the hand that was hitting him and gently tugged it between them. This act of gentleness was her undoing. All of her anger and all of her shields dropped away until the only way to express her myriad of feelings was to lean on chest and cry.

After the tears ran dry, she stepped back and swiped a hand roughly over her cheeks. When her eyes finally met Jason's, they were clear and focused.

"What makes you think you're different?" she asked finally. The question caught him off guard, and his confusion was evident.

"What makes you think you're different than Sonny, or Lorenzo, or Jax? I loved those men, cared for them. I still do, in certain ways. But you don't see me with them now. I gave them more chances than they deserved. And you were in full agreement. What makes you think that I should give you a second chance that you would have happily denied them?" she elaborated. Jason opened his mouth to answer, but could only close it again as the answer escaped him. Because she was right. He would have gladly agreed with Carly leaving Sonny, and whomever else, by the wayside at the first moment they treated her with even the slightest disrespect. And the simple answer of "because I love you" would not cut it, no matter how much he wanted it to. He sighed.

"I didn't want to think of you loving them, Carly. I didn't want to think that you wanted them to _have_ a second chance. Because their second chances meant no chance for me. It was one step closer to losing you completely. Deep down, I knew that. And deep down, I knew I wanted that second chance of my own. Because I knew that if I had that, there would never need to be any other chances because I would keep my word, Carly."

"But you're afraid of it, Jason. You're always afraid of it."

"Not anymore," he said. He held up his hand to stop her protest. "Ten years, Carly. You said it. And your mother reminded me a few weeks ago. We've both grown up. We've both learned so many lessons with and without each other." Carly reached a hand up and laid it on his cheek.

"I learned that I don't need you. I've learned that I don't _need_ anyone. Just myself. I haven't changed all that much in ten years. But what has changed is that I know I don't need anyone. I can survive on my own. And I can succeed," she said softly. His hand came up to meet hers as he smiled with a nod.

"And you know what I learned?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I learned that you can be right on occasion," he said, causing her to smile back. "I learned that you do have to fight for what you want because sometimes something that is right doesn't always come easy."

Jason took her hand in his and placed a soft, gentle kiss on the top of it - much like he had many years ago. He heard her sharp intake of breath and he felt her hand stiffen in his grip. But she didn't pull away. When he looked up at her, Carly had the same look on her face that she'd had long ago in the hallway. She didn't want to say good-bye.

"I love you, Jason." It was the first time she'd said it in a long time, in the way that she'd always wanted to say it. Her free hand came up to touch his cheek. "I always love you, no matter what. But you have a baby to fight for and take care of, and I have a divorce to put in motion."

"Jake has no bearing on this, Carly. What we have came way before that. But you need to know that just like you wished long ago that Michael had been my son instead of A.J.'s, I wish Liz's son was yours," Jason said as he closed his eyes. He knew the pain she was going through. He'd felt it years before when he'd thought of AJ. His older brother had been a thorn in his side and no matter what, Jason had always been jealous of his tie to Carly. He knew that Carly had felt and would always feel that way about Elizabeth. Jason had faith, though, that they could work past all of those feelings.

Carly stepped closer to him, causing him to open his eyes and look at her. Her face was serious.

"I never meant you to think any of this swung on your son, Jason. I would never begrudge you that little boy or make you feel guilty over him. You never did that with me or Michael. Just the fact that Jake is your son makes me love him without even meeting him. All I'm saying is that we both have priorities right now. And as much as I want to forgive, forget and ride off into the sunset on your motorcycle, it's not something that can happen right now," she said. He reached up and took careful pains to brush the hair behind her ears.

"All that matters, Carly, is that you still want to ride off into that sunset with me. Whatever comes after that, I'll deal with it. We'll deal with it," he confessed. Carly let out a quick, dry laugh.

"There's going to be a lot to deal with. Sonny, Sam, Elizabeth, Jax…" she started to list. Jason smiled as he finally felt comfortable enough to pull her into a hug, her head fitting neatly beneath his chin like always.

"Let 'em all come," he said as her arms wrapped around him. He hadn't felt this good in weeks. Her sigh told him they had a lot to work out. They had ten years to work past. But all that mattered was that he hadn't felt this good in weeks.

* * *

**To be continued… (I promise!)**


	10. Part X

* * *

Part X

_

* * *

The Brownstone_

"Carly..." Bobbie called as her daughter started to resemble a whirlwind. "Carly!"

"What?" the blond called to her mother as she rushed into the kitchen to dispose of Michael and Morgan's dirty dishes. Bobbie followed, using her petite frame to block the door out of the kitchen as best she could to try and confine her daughter. As Carly turned to rush back, she nearly collided with the other woman.

"What has gotten into you?" Bobbie asked, crossing her arms. Carly frowned.

"What do you mean? I've got to get the boys ready to go over to Jason's, then I need to get to the Metro Court to manage a few things, and then I've got to meet my lawyer. Since we all got up a little late, I've got to rush a few things," she said.

"Okay. I guess that's excusable. But I couldn't help but notice that you'd gotten in a little late last night," Bobbie commented. Carly let out a half-laugh as she rolled her eyes.

"I had some things to take care of," she said.

"Luke mentioned he'd seen you when he and I talked last night. He said you'd been headed towards the Towers," the redhead commented as Carly raised an eyebrow.

"Not that it was any of Luke's business, but I was. And speaking of Luke, you and I are going to have to have a chat about what you tell the man. This 'concern' he seems to suddenly have in my activities is starting to get more than inconvenient," Carly said. This time, Bobbie rolled her eyes with a grin.

"Inconvenient because he actually cares for you..." she pointed out. Carly let out an little cry.

"Shut your mouth!" she said on a disbelieving laugh.

There was a commotion in the living room that caused Bobbie and Carly to look at each other in confusion. Bobbie led the way into the other room and grinned when she saw her nephew under the attack of her grandsons.

"Lucky! What brings you here?" she asked. The blond looked up at his aunt and cousin with a quick smile as his disentangled himself from the boys. The look on his face told the two women that this was more than just a social visit.

"Boys!" Carly called attention to Michael and Morgan. When both of them calmed, she pointed to the stairs. "Why don't you guys go upstairs and get your things together. Otherwise we'll be late to Jason's. And make sure everything is packed since we're headed back to the house, okay?" Michael, ever the little man, knew his mother was covering for something. But he led his brother to the stairs without question. Once they were out of earshot, Carly turned to her cousin.

"What's going on, Lucky? It isn't Jason or Sonny, is it?" she asked.

"No Carly. It's not Jason or Sonny. I'm here to ask you to come in to the station for some questioning," he said. Carly looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're _arresting_ me?" she asked, incredulous. Bobbie stood in front of her daughter as if to protect her from this newest development.

"Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, you'd better have a good reason for this," she told her nephew. Lucky, for his part, looked uncomfortable.

"The DA requested a 24 hour hold on Carly for questioning in her connection to Jerry Jacks," he said. Carly slipped past her mother in two angry strides.

"What?!" she cried. "I have _nothing_ to do with Jerry Jacks. Nor do I _want_ anything to do with the man! What evidence do you have to support this?" Lucky let out a sigh.

"It's not like I agree with this, Carly," he said. She glared at him.

"What... evidence..." she repeated.

"It's not like he needs much to try to raise a case, but Ric is using your recently filed divorce from Jax as suspicious behavior. Even if you don't know particulars, Ric believes that just the divorce itself says that you know something about what happened and that you could be charged with obstruction of justice," her cousin informed her. Bobbie reached out and took her daughter's hand with a small laugh.

"Ric Lansing thinks he can use my daughter's marital problems as probable cause?" she asked. Lucky nodded.

"It was enough to get a judge to order Carly in for questioning," he said. Carly snorted.

"My how Ric can stretch the truth and circumstances to get what he wants. How is he still in office?" she asked. Lucky shook his head.

"I honestly don't know, Carly. He should have been disbarred years ago. But he's a weasel. He knows how to twist things," he said. Carly closed her eyes and counted to ten, willing for her temper to lessen. It wasn't Lucky's fault... She turned to her mother.

"I'm going to need you to take care of the boys, but I'd rather them be at home. I know that they'll be completely safe there. I'll let Max know what's going on as Lucky and I leave. He'll get a hold of Jason," she said. Bobbie squeezed her daughter's hand with a nod.

"Of course, Carly," she said. "Jason will get you out of this..." Whatever else was going to be said was cut off as the two boys clamored down the stairs.

"We're ready to go to Jason's, Momma!" Morgan declared. Carly smiled as her youngest rushed to her. She ran her hand over his little face.

"Well, baby, there's been a change of plans. Grandma is going to take you home. Lucky and I need to meet with Jason really quick this morning, but I'll make sure he comes right over to see you guys as soon as we're done, okay?" she asked. Morgan nodded. But Michael appraised his mother with shrewd eyes. It made Carly's heart ache to see her little boy so jaded already.

"Jason will fix it, Mom," he said before going to get his and Morgan's coat. When Carly looked over at her mother, Bobbie had a hand over her mouth to cover her own pained expression. With a deep breath, Bobbie straightened and held her hands out to her grandsons.

"Well, let's get you two back home. The sooner we're there, then the sooner Jason can come visit you," she said. Morgan nodded his head emphatically.

"I made Jason a present. I have to give it to him," he said. Carly smiled as she watched her sons put on their coats. Bobbie stood next to them, readying herself as well.

"You'll have to show me when we get back to your house," Bobbie told Morgan.

"Nah uh, Grandma. It's for Jason, it's special. Only he can see it..." he said. Bobbie opened the door and waited for the kids to get themselves together.

"Then I guess I'll have to beg Jason to get a peek at it, then," she said. Morgan giggled as he followed Michael out the door.

"Graaaaaandmaaaaa," he bemoaned as the door shut behind them. The smile left Carly's face as she turned to her cousin.

"Is this an official arrest, then?" she asked. Lucky shook his head.

"Ric wanted to go all out... police cruisers, flashing lights, bullhorn. The whole gamut. I told Mac that hostage situations and gunfire would be kept to a minimum if we just asked you nicely to come in to the station," he said. Carly reached out and squeezed her cousin's arm.

"Thank you, Lucky. I know we're not close or anything, but you doing this for me and my boys means a lot to me," she said. Lucky nodded.

"To take a page from my dad's book: we're family," he said. Carly went to grab her coat where she'd tossed it earlier.

"Don't get me started on your father. Otherwise, there may actually be due cause for an arrest," she said. Lucky laughed as he escorted her to the door. Carly filled Max in before she climbed into Lucky's SUV, to which the guard immediately pulled his phone out and called Jason. As Lucky pulled away from the building, Carly blew Max a kiss & gave him a quick smile.

_

* * *

_

PCPD

"You've been married for less than six months, Carly. Everyone in Port Charles knows your affinity for the institution," Ric said. "Obviously, something went terribly wrong in your marriage to cause such a drastic action so quickly."

Carly just kept her eyes focused on the door, past Ric's shoulder. It kept her distracted enough to keep from ripping Sonny's brother's face off. Or saying something that wasn't incriminating that Ric, no doubt, would twist into something to keep her in jail overnight. Which she would not, _could not_, do.

"Come on, Carly. If you talk now, maybe I can reduce the charge. That would mean a year? Maybe less?" Carly glared in Ric's direction.

"I came here under my own power, under my own counsel thinking that _perhaps_ when the intrepid police department says they want to 'ask' me a few questions, they will 'ask' me a few questions. Just so you know the difference, Ric, what you are doing now is call 'accusing'. I have a right to remain silent and a right to a lawyer. Strangely enough, I also have a right to a phone call. What's the number for ABC News?" she asked. Ric just smiled smarmily.

"Are you trying to blackmail me, Carly? In the interrogation room, even?" he asked. Carly smirked.

"It isn't blackmail if the entire town knows about it, Ric. Blackmail would mean you want your misdeeds kept under cover," Carly leaned forward. "Your misdeeds are hardly secret."

"I know you have a connection to Jerry Jacks, Carly. You are his sister-in-law. And I have it on good authority that you jeopardized your _relationship_ with Jason for the man. So, forgive me if I have doubts to your innocence where your estranged husband's brother is concerned..." he said. Carly glared.

"Well, forgive me if I have doubts about you actually solving a crime in this town... _legally_," she countered.

"Just tell me what went wrong, Carly. And we can all go home to our children," he said. Carly sat back and crossed her arms across her chest. She gave him an appraising look for a few moments.

"Are you trying to deal? So if I tell you exactly what happened, you'll let me go home to my boys, no more questions asked? Go past 'Go', collect 200 and all of that?" she asked finally. Carly held back her amusement at the sudden glee that filled Ric's eyes.

"Something happened," he said, the smirk in place.

"Deal?" Carly asked again. Ric rolled his eyes.

"Fine, Carly. Yes. But you have to tell me exactly what happened," he said. Carly smiled.

"Then prepare to be astonished," she said as she sat forward. Ric leaned onto his elbows, eagerly awaiting what she was going to say since he knew her allegiance to the Jacks family was severely strained.

"Tell me," he said.

"The story is..." she started slowly on a breath. "Irreconcilable differences."

"What?"

"That is what went wrong in my marriage. _Irreconcilable differences_..." Carly said as she stood up and grabbed her coat. "You can check the papers filed yesterday. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have two sons to get home to. Have a nice day, Mr. Lansing."

Carly held in her laugh as she walked out in the PCPD bullpen. Mac's wide-eyed gaze met hers, as well as Lucky's concerned one. It took a second for Ric's mental capabilities to catch up to her, but once they did he stormed out into the room after her.

"Mrs. Jacks! We're not done yet," he yelled. Carly turned.

"Yes, we are. You said we were," she reminded him with a smirk. Then she turned to Mac. "I'll send the department the bill for the waste of my time. I told DA Lansing what he needed to know and according to our deal, I get to go home to my children. I suggest you come at me with something a little more substantial next time. Otherwise, a lawsuit against the department will be my next filing of papers."

When Mac turned to Ric with a question, Carly sat back against Lucky's desk. The sudden increase in voice levels meant that the police chief and the acting district attorney were at a disagreement in police procedure and questioning tactics. There couldn't have been a more amusing site for her at the moment.

"So... _do_ you know anything about Jerry Jacks?" Lucky's voice cut in. She watched him lean against his desk next to her.

"You'd be the only person I'd tell in this joint. And since I haven't told you anything, then I would hope you were smart enough to come to the correct conclusion," she said. Lucky smiled as he, too, watched the ensuing argument between his bosses.

"Carly..." She could hear Jason's voice even amid the arguing. Carly turned to the door where he stood and didn't say anything as she approached him and wrapped her arms around him.

"You came," she said against his jacket.

"Where else would I be?" he asked as she pulled back. He smiled. "But it looks like you got yourself out of this round..."

"Ric's an idiot. It really wouldn't take much to get by him," she commented. "I just don't think I would have been able to handle it if he'd have made me stay."

"It wouldn't have happened," Jason said. "Trust me." Carly smiled up at him. He caught her chin and looked at her.

"What?" she asked, her smile widening.

"That's almost your old smile," he said, thinking of Michael's comment on her happiness. Carly rolled her eyes and took his arm.

"Let's get you out of here before Ric decides to charge you with some bogus crime," she said. The two walked outside in companionable silence. As they stopped at the top of the steps, Carly let out a sigh as she looked around.

"I get that your job is dangerous, Jason. Through firsthand knowledge, I get that you have to do stuff that you wouldn't, on any normal day, want to do. But you do it to keep everyone and everything you love safe. And what those morons in there don't understand is that you - and Sonny and everyone who works for you - keep this town safe from the Sorels, the Morenos, the Roscoes, and whatnot. You've done so much by keeping those people out of this town," she said as she let go of his arm. Quickly, she flexed her other arm and was pleased to find that the soreness in her chest from the movement was minimal. With another smile, she started down the stairs. But Jason stopped her as he took her hand. Before she could respond, he leaned down and gave her a quick, firm kiss.

"Thank you," he said before she could say anything. Without looking at her, he continued down the stairs after her, her hand still in his. They had a couple of little boys to see.

_

* * *

_

Elsewhere in the world...

_Great Wall of China_

"I have to admit, this setting isn't exactly what I expected when you said you wanted to meet."

"We were both in the area. It would have been expectedly inconvenient to meet anywhere else, don't you think? And this is a little more... private... Someone is always listening in the city." The two figures turned to look out at the vast scenery lying before them alit by a partly cloudy night sky.

"'Remote' would be the word I'd choose. And as much as I'm enjoying this little Chinese history lesson, I don't appreciate the implication that I am being watched."

"I apologize. There was no implication meant. I don't deal with people until I know how they operate." One figure eyed the other appreciatively.

"Well, I guess have to accept that since the Zacchara's run the same way."

"Good. Similar beliefs lead to a happy co-existence."

"This is a long way from Port Charles for a small meeting. And I didn't fly here from Shanghai just to co-exist. We both know what we're after and luckily enough, it's the same thing."

"A hole in the Morgan-Corinthos control."

"Exactly. Now, I need to know everything you know. You've had significant access to the workings of a small port town and the local iron fist ruling it. With your recent legal issues and dealings, it would be best to have you stay low for a little bit longer. So, Jerry, I believe it is in our best interest for you to tell me everything you know and quickly."

"So Port Charles, New York can become acquainted with you, Claudia?" he asked. Her smile was quick and it was purpose-filled.

"Yes. I think it's time to add a new dynamic to a boring little town..."

* * *

**_A/N: I hereby swear this shall be continued…_**


	11. Part XI

* * *

Part XI

_

* * *

_

Metro Court

Shrewd eyes watched as Carly Spencer-Corinthos-Jacks whipped around the Metro Court as if she owned the place. Lucky for her, she did. And it was that point alone that would be her opening.

"Excuse me?" Claudia asked as the other woman breezed past her. Carly spun around, perfect hostess smile in place.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked. Claudia smiled back.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could bother you to send a member of the wait staff in my direction. I've been sitting here for twenty minutes and, not to sound demanding or anything, I think it's been a really long time for no one to say anything to me," she informed her. The blonde woman looked appropriately apologetic, and Claudia knew that Carly Jacks was being honest. Research and her inside source told her that Carly Jacks took her business seriously. _Very_ seriously.

"I am _so_ sorry. I will make sure someone is here right away. And consider your meal on the house," she said as she motioned for a server to attend to the table. Claudia shook her dark head.

"I can't ask that of you," she said. Carly gave her a smile that was more genuine than the polite smile from earlier.

"You didn't ask, and it's done."

"Well then, let's consider this the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Claudia said airily with a grin. She could see the amusement fire in Carly's eyes. Apparently the blonde could recognize a sister soul.

"You're actually pretty lucky you didn't demand. Otherwise your free drink would have been poured down that stunning top you're wearing," she told Claudia. If she didn't know the critical role Carly Jacks played in the stability of Port Charles, Claudia would have been inclined to really like the woman.

"Well, with that threat, I'll strive to hold my tongue," Claudia laughed as she toasted her newly arrived water to the Metro Court owner. Carly grinned in response before her eye caught something just behind Claudia. With a companionable hand on Claudia's shoulder, she took her leave.

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. Giselle, here, should take very good care of you," she said. Claudia turned her head ever so slightly to catch a glimpse at what had caught Carly Jack's attention so fiercely. Standing just inside the doorway was a severe-looking man in a leather jacket. But any thoughts of 'severe' were left in the dust when Claudia saw him smile at Carly's approach. The man's whole demeanor changed. Interesting. By the way the two of them conversed, and with Jerry's information, the man had to be Jason Morgan.

Oh yes, Carly Jacks was the key. But Claudia needed to figure out the best way to use her...

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Carly asked him with a happy smile. It wasn't often Jason surprised her with a visit at work. She leaned against the bar and laid the papers she had been toting behind it for the bar staff to access.

"I came to see you," he said, frowning through a smile. Jason was pretty sure the answer was obvious. Carly rolled her eyes.

"Duh. But you're not the type to drop in just because," she told him. Jason smiled before he stepped close to her.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm having Max go through the house with his team to update security," he said. Carly nodded.

"You know I'm okay with whatever you think is best," she told him. Her faith in his instincts never failed to amaze him. But with Jerry Jacks still out there, it was best to keep her and her boys safe.

"Good." It was all he said as he continued to just look at her. It had been such a long time since he just looked at her. And it had been such a long time since he looked at her _the __way_ he was looking at her. It caused her to fidget.

"What?" she said with a small smile. He reached up and ran a quick finger over her cheek.

"I just want to tell you that I'm serious about how I feel about us. And I will tell you that every day, if I need to," he said, lowering his hand and leaning against the bar like her. Carly let her hands drop on top of his as she looked down at them.

"You don't have to tell me, Jason. I know now. But I appreciate you telling me anyways, because it makes me feel like we're getting to know each other again. You knowing that I like hearing that makes the Jason Morgan that I didn't know weeks ago, months, even years ago seem surreal," she said. When Carly looked up at him, his blue eyes held just a moment of pain that made her reach up and cup his cheek.

"What happened in my house weeks ago has no bearing on what we are, Jason," she told him firmly. He nodded as his eyes dropped.

"I know that. But I hurt you," he said. Carly dropped her hand to his again.

"You hurt me before, Jason," she said simply, causing his eyes to snap up to hers again. "I'm still here. And I hurt you before. But you're still here. That's all that matters."

Carly shook her head with a smile as she stood up straight.

"No more talk of that. Happier things... What did you do with Morgan's present?" she asked. Jason smiled again, which was her aim.

"It's up on the mantle, as I promised him," he informed her. Carly laughed.

"He'll be so happy to hear that..." she said. Just as she was about to say something more, Jax walked in the door, causing her to stop.

"Carly, can we talk?" he asked. Carly clearly read the anger in Jason's eyes, but she squeezed his hand to calm him and keep him from saying anything.

"Of course. Let's go back to my office," she told him. Then she turned to look at Jason. "Will you be here when I'm done?"

"There's nowhere else I'd be," he said with a sharp look at Jax. But as he watched Carly walk past him, he caught the brief look of pain on her face before she masked it. Jason knew that Carly still had feelings for Jax. It was why he wasn't pushing her. Just as he and Sonny both felt for Carly despite their other relationships, he realized that it would probably be the same for her. Jason would let Jax have his conversations because he knew that when it really counted the man hadn't been what Carly needed. He'd failed. Just like Sonny had. Just like Lorenzo had.

"Well, I can't exactly place that look on your face. It's a cross between someone just running over your puppy and you being the cat that caught the canary," a voice said from the bar. Jason looked over to see a petite brunette standing there in wait of her drink refill. "They really should name that emotion…"

"It's none of your business," Jason said. She just smiled at him. The look in her eye reminded him slightly of the look that Carly would sometimes get.

"Let me guess… you're the puppy, and she…" the woman pointed in the direction Carly had taken. "… is the canary…" Jason shifted uncomfortably on his feet as the woman sidled closer to him.

"You should come join me at my table. I'll keep you company until the canary returns," she said huskily. Jason frowned.

"I'm okay here," he said. Something about her seemed familiar. He wasn't sure where he thought he'd seen her before, but there was definitely something familiar.

"If it's of any importance to you, I think that woman is pretty nice," she said. Jason gave her a look that told her he really didn't care what she thought. It caused her to chuckle as she picked up her new drink.

"The name's Claudia. Come and join me if you feel like being social," she said with a wink.

He didn't feel like being social.

* * *

"Jax…" Carly said as she stood behind her desk. He closed the door behind them.

"So… you and Jason…" he started. Carly held up her hand.

"Jason is not a subject open for discussion," she said.

"You almost died, Carly. You almost left your sons without a mother. And _he_ is the reason," he said. Carly lifted an eyebrow.

"I'm still here, aren't I? So I think it's safe to say that is another subject that is off limits," she said. After a moment, Jax nodded.

"Fine. I just wanted to tell you that I plan on going back to Australia for a month or two. I promised my mother I would. She hasn't been feeling the greatest and I want to go help her out," he said. Carly's gaze turned worried.

"It's nothing serious, right?" she asked. No matter what happened in her relationship with Jax, Carly had truly respected Lady Jane. And her love for Jax held out concern for him should his mother be seriously ill. Jax gave her a small smile.

"No, it's nothing serious. Just under the weather, as we all tend to get. And her worry for… her worry for Jerry has only given her more stress," he said. Carly stiffened slightly at her brother-in-law's name, but gave no other indication that the name had affected her.

"Tell her I wish her the best and hope she's well," she told him. Jax nodded.

"I'll be sure to tell her. I know I've left Metro Court in capable hands. And I also wanted to tell you that I've arranged it so that it will be one hundred percent yours when the divorce is final," he said.

"Jax…" she said, her gaze softening as she looked at him. "You didn't have to do that. You and I have proven before that we can work together despite hard times. We can do that again." He smiled.

"You deserve this, Carly. You are a smart, capable woman. You don't need a partner, and you don't need a backer. This place will thrive with you as the owner. And I would be proud to give it to you," he said.

"That's more than I could ever expect from you," Carly said, coming out from behind her desk to embrace the man she had hoped would be her forever. He hugged her back.

"We expected a lot from each other, Carly. And I'm sorry that we never got the chance to meet those expectations. But despite that, I love you. I will always love you. And if you need anything, I am just a phone call away," he said. Carly stepped back and gave him a smile.

"Of all my marriages, you're my favorite," she joked. He laughed and leaned to kiss her cheek. She returned the favor before looking at him with a serious expression.

"When I was with you, I never felt more cared for. I never felt more respected. And for that, I will always love you. If _you_ need anything at all, I too am just a phone call away," she said. He nodded before brushing a hand over her shoulder and then turning to exit the office.

Carly let out a deep breath and gave herself a moment to say good-bye to another man that she had loved, but hadn't been able to love enough.

"You okay?" a voice asked. Carly opened her eyes to see Jason leaning against the doorjamb. She smiled in response.

"Yeah. I am. Just mentally adding another failure to the growing list," she said. Jason cocked his head to one side and gave her a reproachful look.

"Carly…" he started, but she held up her hand to stop him as she approached him.

"Stop, Jason. Don't try to convince me otherwise or soften the blow. This is another failure. I couldn't love him enough. I learned with Sonny that if things are at an impasse, then it needs to come to a close. Rather than go through twelve breakups and reconciliations, I'll spare the both of us the heartache," she said. Her arms slipped under his jacket and around his waist for a hug. With a sigh, she leaned her cheek over his heart. His arms automatically closed around her – comforting her, saving her, supporting her, loving her. Everything. Jason stayed silent, knowing that this was her moment. These were her thoughts, and he just needed to be there.

"Sometimes, Jason, I forget what we can do to others," she said. "You always said we would destroy each other. And maybe, back then, we would have since we didn't know any better. But I think we also forgot that this thing between us takes _no_ prisoners. We've left others by the roadside too."

She was right. Boy, was she right. It was a long list of people that had gotten caught up in the saga that was Jason and Carly. He could recognize that now, even if it hadn't seemed so dramatic as they'd lived it. AJ, Robin, Sonny, Courtney, Liz, Lorenzo, Brenda, Sam, Patrick, Jax… They'd all been embroiled in and burned by what Jason and Carly couldn't give up – and wouldn't even if they could. Each other.

He hugged her closer.

"I know." And he felt bad about it. But when it came down to it, it wasn't nearly as important as almost losing her. When she looked up at him, Jason could read the same emotion in her eyes. Carly looked like she wanted to say something else, but instead, she stepped back from him and towards her desk with a laugh.

"Ah, a trip down memory lane… not very productive is it? At least that's what you'd always tell me in one way or another," she commented. Jason let out a breath. Carly did not want to make this easy. Whether it was intentional or not, he would be patient – just as she had been during years of his indecision.

* * *

"Morgan is a tougher nut to crack than was originally thought," she said as she threw her coat over the plush sofa in her Metro Court suite. The phone was perched between her shoulder and ear as she made her way to the master bedroom.

"I believe that Jerry Jacks told you as such, didn't he?" Claudia laughed at the statement.

"All men have a weakness, little brother. I think I may know Mr. Morgan's. I just need a little more time to get to know her better," she said.

"Ah, so there's a woman," he said. Claudia chuckled as she flopped down onto the bed.

"There's always a woman, darling. That's the predictability of it all."

"What about Corinthos?"

"I have yet to meet the man. But from what you've said and what Mr. Jacks has supplied me with, I can't help but be very curious." Claudia could almost see her brother's eyes rolling in his head.

"You know what they say about curiosity, big sister. Please, be careful. In order for things to work, we need you alive," he said. Claudia grinned.

"Spare me the somewhat insincere concern, Johnny. The entire Zacchara family will be in place to take over what the Corinthos organization will soon vacate," she told him.

"Well, keep in mind that it needs to be soon. Otherwise Daddy Dearest will be displeased," Johnny told her. Claudia laughed.

"When have I ever not followed through on a job?" she asked.

"Your… _interests_… tend to cause delays," he reminded her. She scoffed.

"Whatever. Maybe you should come and join me. Enjoy a little playtime in Port Charles with me before we take over the place. Could be fun…" she wheedled. He laughed.

"I'll think about it, sis. But in the meantime, take care of yourself," he said.

"Always do. It's Port Charles that you're going to have to worry about."

**_

* * *

_**

A/N: To be continued... :)


	12. Part XII

* * *

Part XII

_

* * *

_

Warehouse District

Lorenzo Alcazar stuck the last piece of paper he would have to look at for the day in the awaiting manila folder. It was time to go home and hang up the mob gloves for the day. With a sigh, he sat back in his chair.

It was strange that there was sort of a peaceful co-existence with the Corinthos-Morgan partnership. Quiet time was more of a staple these days and easier to come by. It was when he'd stopped trying to ship drugs through the port that the understanding seemed to fall into place. And Lorenzo knew he had Jason Morgan to thank for that. Morgan was always the reasonable one of the pair of men that Lorenzo still thought of as enemies.

Morgan had nearly succeeded in strangling him and Corinthos had shot him, leaving him for dead. It was a reasonable deduction for any bystander to assume that Lorenzo would never think of them as anything but expendable. The only reason why they were still alive revolved around one person… One _woman_… And Lorenzo would never harm her in any aspect of the word. It was just an unfortunate trick of fate that Carly Spencer-Jacks thought everything of both Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos.

With another sigh, Lorenzo stood and picked up his long discarded suit jacket. A sound at the door caught his attention.

"Que pasa, Emilio?" he called. The door opened and one of his most trusted entered, followed closely by Jerry Jacks. The enforcer looked over his shoulder at the other man with disdain.

"Mr. Jacks insisted on seeing you, Mr. Alcazar," he growled, turning back to his boss. Jerry just smiled with good nature as he shoved Emilio forward so that Lorenzo could see the gun.

"_Insist_ is not quite the word I would use," he commented as he pointed the gun at Lorenzo.

"I see you have returned, Mr. Jacks," the mobster commented, unconcerned about the weapon. Jerry smiled again.

"Your powers of observation are stunning, Mr. Alcazar." Lorenzo merely lifted a brow before sitting down behind his desk once more.

"To what do I owe this somewhat unintelligent move?" he asked, folding his hands on his desk. Jerry motioned for Emilio to sit, and then took the second available chair for himself.

"I believe we are to discuss the sale of your stake in the warehouses you own on the docks," Jerry said without preamble. Lorenzo gave the man an amused smile.

"You believe? That leads me to think that you, the once and powerful Mr. Craig, are not the puppet master behind this… _maneuver_. Have we been reduced to an errand boy?" he mocked. Jerry's eyes were cold as they assessed the other man.

"What happens to these warehouses are of no concern to me. The deal I have in place is a lucrative one. After I secure the sale, I am free and clear," he said. Lorenzo's amused smile did not waver as he sat back and smoothed his jacket over his torso.

"Free and clear? I think not, Mr. Jacks. If you think you will walk out of here with the deed to this place after you held me at gunpoint and live a life free of shadows, you are sorely mistaken," he said. When he leaned forward again it was to point a similar weapon back at the other man.

"It would appear we're in, what these Americans call, a standoff," Jerry said. Lorenzo's gaze did not waver.

"You forget, Mr. Jacks. It's two against one," he reminded as his enforcer validated his words by shoving his newly appeared gun into Jerry's neck.

"Should have gotten rid of me when you had the chance, pendejo." Still, Jerry did not seem affected by the turn of events.

"Who are you working for, Mr. Jacks?" Lorenzo asked. "I would certainly hope this was not a move on the part of Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan." Jerry tilted his head to one side.

"Past circumstances being what they are, Mr. Alcazar, I don't think it would be in _my_ best interest to be partaking in _their_ interests," he commented. Lorenzo conceded the point with a nod.

"That begs the questions as to who is pulling your strings," he commented. Jerry shrugged as he lowered the gun. With a nod, Lorenzo indicated for Emilio to drop his weapon as well.

"I think that my associates will make their name known soon enough. I wouldn't worry," Jerry said. Lorenzo smiled.

"I never worry, Mr. Jacks. Worry causes mistakes," he said arrogantly. Jerry chuckled.

"There was a rumor that you'd made a few of those in your past. In the form of my sister-in-law, perhaps?" he inquired for no real reason. Lorenzo reached up and rubbed the small spot that would always be a reminder of Carly's influence on his life – it was only fitting that it was the scar of a bullet hole.

"I would suggest leaving Carly out of this conversation. Yes, loving her very nearly got me killed. But I don't regret it. And since her involvement with you very nearly got _her_ killed, I would suggest leaving Carly out of everything entirely. _Your_ life in particular," he said, his blue eyes darkening. Jerry's lips twitched.

"All this time and still feeling protective?" he asked. Then he shrugged. "It's a feeling that I am beginning to understand." Lorenzo knew the road on which the other man was walking. And it didn't bode well.

"I'll give you a friendly piece of advice, Mr. Jacks. Drop whatever it is you feel for your _sister-in-law_. Morgan won't let you near her ever again. Especially now that she is divorcing your brother and has no… _familial_ obligations to you. For the sake of your life, which I assume you treasure above all else as your past endeavors indicate, stay out of Morgan's way. Which means staying out of Carly's," he said. Jerry stood with a smirk.

"You have no faith in my ability, do you, Mr. Alcazar?" he asked. Lorenzo thought back to the hostage situation at the Metro Court. The sociopathic tendencies of the other man spoke loud and clear of his abilities.

"It's not your abilities that I don't have faith in. It's just that I have more faith in Morgan's," he said airily, sitting back in his chair to appraise Jerry Jacks one more time. The other man just smirked again.

"If Morgan is the problem, then I'll just have to make the problem go away," he said. Then he tilted his head. "I doubt it would be an issue as it would benefit both me and my associates."

It made sense that since Lorenzo had stopped shipping his illegal arms through the port that someone else would want in on that particular piece of pie. Port Charles was prime shipping waters. And now, someone had bought Jerry Jacks to see if they could get their foot in. It was something that he would eventually have to share with Morgan and Corinthos. _Eventually._

"So we'll see, Mr. Jacks." Perhaps if he kept him talking, the man would let something slip.

* * *

_Fifteen minutes later…_

Shrewd eyes only watched, for the time being, as Jerry Jacks finally emerged from the warehouse. The vibration of his phone alerted him to the possible change in plans.

"_Take him out,"_ the voice instructed without a care. He smiled.

"Yes sir."

* * *

_Elm Street Pier_

Claudia Zacchara stood at the docks looking over the water. Port Charles was a nice place. Not too big, not too small. Lake Ontario was always a nice view to see every day… It would be even nicer once the Zaccharas took over the port city.

A sound behind her startled her and she spun around to see Jerry Jacks descending the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a frown. The last thing she needed was to be seen with the man who was still a fugitive in this city. One of his hands fell to her shoulder to steady himself, and as the clouds cleared away from the moon, Claudia could see why. The red stain in the middle of his chest marred the white of his dress shirt. There were red finger trails along his cheek. When she looked down at the hand that lay against her shirt, she could see that they were stained red as well. With a sharp breath, she shrugged her way out of his reach.

"_Danger… __Carly_…" he gasped before stumbling a few feet to his right and disappearing over the side of the dock. Claudia closed her eyes and waited. The telltale splash followed. With a quick, instinctive hand, she grasped her phone and put it up to her ear as she peeked over the side. Jerry Jacks was face down in the water… he did not move.

"Crap…" she muttered to herself as she lifted an assessing eyebrow. Then, with a look of impatience, she put her phone back in her pocket. What use was it anyhow? Mr. Jacks was obviously dead. She didn't need to call attention to herself by calling the cops. Let some wharf lackey do it.

Claudia shifted the leather jacket she wore more comfortably around her and looked around to see if anyone was lingering in the area. A hand went up to brush her shoulder and it came away slightly red. Her brown eyes rolled as she made her way up the stairs.

Blood was _so_ hard to get out sometimes.

* * *

Lucky Spencer knew it was going to be a long night as he knelt down next to the edge of the dock. He knew that fact the minute he recognized the body being fished out of the harbor as Jerry Jacks with a bullet hole in his chest.

Who put that bullet hole there? The suspects were nearly too many to name. And this wasn't going to be a _quiet_ murder investigation. Not by a long shot. Not with Jasper Jacks as his brother, Carly Spencer-Jacks as his soon-to-be, former sister-in-law, Alexis Davis as a begrudging champion of sorts, and nearly the entire town as a list of enemies.

"Detective Spencer?" a voice asked. He looked over his shoulder to where one of the officers stood.

"Yeah?"

"We just took a statement from the lady who found the body. She said she saw a woman rushing from the area not long before she came down to the docks. They exchanged 'hellos' but other than that, nothing very distinguishing to give us a lead," he said. Lucky nodded. The female population of Port Charles was just as unpredictable as the mob violence that would flare up. Trying to find this mysterious woman would be like trying to find a needle in a very temperamental haystack.

"Would she be able to identify the woman in a line-up?" Lucky asked. The officer made a face.

"The lady had glasses on thicker than the ice on the lake at winter time. And it was dark. My guess would be an indisputable 'no'. Even if she could, she'd be discredited in two seconds by any defense attorney worth anything," he commented. Lucky nodded again. Especially a defense attorney in _this_ town who could spin things enough to make Mother Theresa look guilty.

"Okay. I guess we're going to have to take the long way on this one," he told the officer, who snorted in response as he looked at his notebook. When he turned to show it to Lucky, it was empty but for two lines of information.

"The really long way…" he reported.

Lucky stood, giving the notebook a look of disdain. This one was going to be fun.

* * *

_Metro Court_

It was late. It was very late. Carly couldn't believe that she'd actually spent a lot of the evening locked away in her office while the love of her life spent the evening with the two other loves of her life. With a sigh, she stood from the desk and closed the folders that were mocking her. She'd gotten so behind after the events of a few weeks ago. Hospital stays will do that to a person. And with her partner and future ex-husband off running after his brother and putting out those particular fires in his wake, it was no surprise that hotel paperwork built up.

But she was done for the evening. She was going to go home and spend quality time with Jason and her boys. That thought in mind, she picked up her coat and slipped into it. As she locked up her office, the tell-tale ring on her phone made her smile.

"How are my favorite people on the whole, wide planet?" she asked into the phone. A tinkling laugh came from the other end.

"I'm honored to be a part of that crowd, Daughter of Mine," her mother's voice answered. Carly frowned in confusion.

"Mama? What's going on? Why are you calling from my house? Are the boys alright? Jason?" she asked. Sudden images of her beautiful house engulfed in smoke or windows knocked out and furniture broken flashed in front of her eyes. Her boys could be holy terrors.

"Everyone's fine, Carly. At least health-wise," Bobbie informed her. Carly's heart began to race. "Jason told me to call you. Ric came by the house and had him arrested. He's on his way down to PCPD right now. I don't know what happened; I didn't make it in time for Ric to be forthcoming with the charge." Carly let out a frustrated breath.

"God, I absolutely _loathe_ that man," she commented. "Listen, can you…"

"Already done, Carly," her mother interrupted. "I've got the boys eating their almost-cold pizza, and then they're headed to bed with two stories from Grandma…" Carly smiled.

"I love you, Mama. You really are the greatest," she said with sincerity. She could almost see Bobbie's return smile.

"You just get down there and raise some heck, sweetie. Ric had no right to steal Jason away like that in the middle of Michael and Morgan's night," she said, anger lacing her voice.

"Oh, don't you worry, Mama. Raising heck is what I do best," she told Bobbie as she stormed out of the Metro Court front doors and started in the direction of the police department.

"And where are you off to in such a hurry, Little Missy? I don't think I heard Morgan or Corinthos whistle for you…" Carly rolled her eyes.

"I don't have time for you, Luke. You'll have to take a rain check on the general malaise you spread around," she said. Luke smiled.

"Maybe we're headed in the same direction and I can spread this so-called malaise as we walk and talk," he said. Carly frowned.

"Mama called you didn't she?" she asked, finally catching on. Luke laughed.

"Among others. I heard it from a little Spencer birdie that Morgan was being brought in before I got the call from Barbara Jean." He stuck his hands in his pockets and ambled along next to her.

"Lucky," Carly let her cousin's name out on a hiss. He certainly wasn't in her good books right now. "Apparently he thinks I'm going to do something stupid." Luke grinned.

"And so does your loving mother. So, I'd say chances are pretty good that you will," he couldn't help but goad. Carly reached out and shoved him off the sidewalk, causing him to laugh.

"Wait. Let me get this one… so they both called you to babysit me?" she asked. Luke shrugged.

"I think you can see the fatal flaw in that plan," he said. That caused Carly to laugh. Sometimes, her uncle really wasn't so bad.

"You know what they say about Spencer plans," she said, her blue eyes meeting identical blue eyes. It must have been a family trait to have that certain hell-raising gleam to them… Luke grinned.

"They're foolproof, of course," he replied. Carly laughed again.

"Yes…" she said. "It's what I keep telling people, anyways." Luke smirked.

"Which makes them more than fools, wouldn't you say?" Carly conceded the point with a nod of her head. Her thoughts quickly turned to Jason… and Ric.

"Why the hell would Ric go after Jason like this? It's late, so it's got to be serious," she commented, a worried frown marring her face. Luke 'tsk-tsked' with a shake of his head.

"That Lansing. Tenacious like a pit bull when it comes to Morgan and that brother of his. And he wonders why no one believes him when he says he wants to make good on his family relationships," the white-haired man mocked. Carly snorted in her usual, unlady-like manner.

"Pit bull," she repeated. "He needs to be put down like one, that's for sure."

"Now, Princess, don't get yourself worked up just yet…" All Carly could do was level him a glare. Luke just smirked, as he often did when encountering his niece.

* * *

_Port Charles Police Department_

"Get your hands off of me, Lansing," Jason warned as Ric held his arm in a firm grip.

"I don't think so, Morgan. You're under arrest for the murder of Jerry Jacks. Me touching you is going to be the least of your problems." Throughout Ric's manhandling, Jason remained calm.

"I didn't do anything, Ric. My lawyer is going to have a field day with you and your lack of proof," he said. Ric just laughed.

"Oh, we have proof," he said. Jason shook his head.

"Circumstantial, at best. And for all the times PCPD has falsely accused me of something, I would consider this to be profiling." The officer next to him took Jason's other arm to escort him to the holding cells.

"Stop!" Carly's voice cried as she rushed into the police department bullpen. Luke tried to restrain her from behind as they rushed into the department, but she shrugged away from him. "Let Jason go, now…"

Ric smirked as he turned to her. "I don't think the PCPD answers to you, Carly." The blonde gave him a dirty look.

"Jason didn't do it, _Ric_. He would never kill Jerry Jacks," she said. Ric scoffed as he looked over at his shoulder at a very interested Jason Morgan.

"Oh please. Like we haven't heard that age-old line over and over again. And it's on good authority that Morgan, here, wanted Jerry Jacks dead for a long time," the acting district attorney sneered. Carly sneered back.

"He didn't do it, because I was the one that did it," she said. The entire department went silent. Luke put a hand over his face in frustration and let out a beleaguered moan to demonstrate it. Jason's eyes went wide, but he restrained himself from telling her to shut up. If he did that, it would all but cement her guilt in the eyes of the PCPD and its incompetent D.A.

The look in her blue eyes dared him to say anything. She knew she had him in a bind. He couldn't say anything without incriminating himself or her even more. Ric's eyes glazed over at the thought of possibly putting both Jason _and_ Carly behind bars. When the officers let his arms go, Jason moved to rush over to Carly, but another pair of officers stepped between them and escorted her towards the interrogation room for her statement.

* * *

Carly looked up as the door opened and her posture relaxed when she saw it was Jason. Her handcuffed hands reached up to brush her hair out of her face.

"Hey, Jase," she said with a smile. He did not look happy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked. She stood and paced quietly behind the chair.

"Carly?" he pressed. She turned to look at him.

"You think I could let them pin this on you?" she asked. He shook his head. Again, her rash decisions when it came to him could only astound him.

"They wouldn't be able to, Carly. I didn't do it. There was nothing to support them," he said. Jason reached up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Did you think of the boys when you decided to do this?" She looked offended.

"Of course I thought of my boys, Jason. I would never do something like this and not have a plan," she said, offended that he would even think as such. He wisely decided to stay silent. Carly held up her hands in front of her pleading with him to listen as she rounded the table to approach him.

"Think about it. I'll get out on bail before the motion goes to court. They have _nothing_ on me besides my statement. They'll need to build a case on this new development and while they're doing that, you will be free to find out what really happened. So I have a police escort sitting outside my house… whatever! It's not like I haven't had that before. But now, they can't suspect you for it and that's what counts," she said. Her grin told him that she thought the plan was foolproof. But the PCPD was full of fools who got lucky sometimes. He shook his head. He would be damned before he let them get lucky at her expense.

"It doesn't mean I'm free and clear, Carly. And now you've jeopardized your freedom," he said.

"Jason," she laughed. "This has no way to go but up! Can't you see? I didn't do it. You didn't do it. We were nowhere near anything that happened…" He stopped what she was going to say by grabbing a hold of her chin and forcing her to look at him.

"Stop it, Carly," he ordered. "You gave them your statement. You told them you killed Jerry Jacks. They'll have you either on that, or by perjury and obstructing justice." This time, Carly grinned as she shook her face from his grip.

"That's the genius, Jason," she stage whispered, leaning closer to him. "I never actually said what I did! I knew they'd be totally all over it when I claimed I did 'it' after they started to take you in. They are under the _assumption_ that the 'it' I did was kill Jerry. For all my statement says, the 'it' could have been stubbing my toe!"

Jason shook his head. For all of Carly's plans, this one had the most meat behind it for all of its lack of substance. But it was still extremely shaky. "The judge will see right through that." Her grin widened.

"When I get into court. Jase, it's Friday. You'll have almost three whole days to get a head start on what happened and none of that pesky paperwork to deal with once they had figured out you had nothing to do with it anyway," she said. He let out a breath as the constriction in his chest lightened somewhat. The panic was lessening as her idea took on more credibility.

"You'll still be locked up," he commented. But she seemed to have an answer for everything.

"Not if my lawyer has anything to say about it. And if I agree to supervisory watch as a condition of my being home with my boys, it'll be a cakewalk," she said. After a moment of deliberation, Jason finally stepped close to her, lifted her chin again, and gave her a hard, swift kiss.

"Gotta hand it to you, Car," he said, stepping back. "This one's not so horrible." At his praise, she laughed happily.

"It was bound to happen. Now go get to work, would ya?" she said with a wave of her handcuffed hands. He smiled as he reached out to open the door.

"I love you," he said simply. She squared her shoulders in pride and gave him a loving smile.

"I trust you." It was a firm statement that told him she wouldn't do anything more rash than she'd already done. It told him that the plan was to have no more plans. Not right now, anyway. It was enough to keep his worry for her in check. And he needed to reward that trust by fixing this mess that had nothing to do with them…

He would. No matter what.

**_

* * *

_**

A/N: So, this has taken a turn that I didn't expect it to go to... Bear with me. Hopefully this won't turn out horribly. LOL. Still, let me know if you liked it or not. Not sure, but can be talked into it. :)


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